This is the moment we've been preparing for!

The January 16 Public Service Commission meeting Preliminary Agenda is out, and both the Consolidated Edison rate case AND the Energy Efficiency order are on the agenda! Alliance for a Green Economy, other members and allies of the Renewable Heat Now campaign*, and New Yorkers from across the state will again gather in Albany to witness the PSC announce their decisions, and we invite you to join us! 

Thursday, January 16
Public Service Commission meeting
Empire State Plaza 
Agency Building 3 (enter from inside the Concourse)
19th Floor Boardroom
Gather at 9:30am for the 10:30 meeting
and
Press Conference 
LCA Pressroom
Legislative Office Building Room 130
1:30pm

Thursday will be the 5th time we attend the monthly PSC meeting. In each of the previous meetings we called on the Commission to invest in renewable heating solutions and energy efficiency, not more fracked gas infrastructure. The Governor Cuomo-appointed Commission will be voting on Con Ed’s proposal this Thursday, so it’s critical we flood the Governor’s office with calls on this issue NOW.

Our allies at Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action have set up a call in line for this week: Call Governor Cuomo @ 877-235-6537 and urge him to tell the Public Service Commission to reject Con Ed’s rate hike for fracked gas! 

Call Cuomo Every Day (Jan 13 - Jan 16) 
No Con Edison rate hike for fracked gas!
877-235-6537

The PSC is key in determining if New York will meet its climate goals. They are the ones who approve rate increases and approve how corporate utilities like Con Ed spend our dollars. The Commission's anticipated vote on the controversial Con Ed rate hike will be the first test. Will the PSC act in accordance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) which was signed into law by Governor Cuomo and requires dramatic reductions of greenhouse gas emissions or will the Commission enable utility companies to continue business as usual, raising our gas and electric rates to build more climate-harming infrastructure?

The Commission's long awaited Energy Efficiency instructions to the utilities will be the second test. Will the Commission show real climate leadership and require utilities to meet Governor Cuomo's bold targets or will the Commission allow utilities to dial back energy efficiency targets? Dialed back efficiency targets would make it impossible to reach the Governor's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Research by Cornell scientist Robert Howarth (recently appointed to the CLCPA’s Climate Action Council) proves that emissions are going up because of fracking and that we cannot meet state climate goals if we expand fracked gas infrastructure. 

Let’s make sure NY's regulators know we are watching and that we hold them accountable for serving the PUBLIC’s interest and protecting the planet - not protecting the utilities’ bottom line. Utilities are required to provide safe and reliable energy. In a time of climate crisis, we must recognize that there never has been and there never will be safe fracked gas and that continuing to rely on fossil fuels in these times of climate emergency is irresponsible. It’s time for Governor Cuomo’s PSC to start protecting the PUBLIC and stop the buildout of fracked gas infrastructure!

Andra Leimanis
Communications and Outreach Director
Alliance for a Green Economy

*Renewable Heat Now is a campaign organized by Alliance for a Green Economy, New Yorkers for Clean Power, NY-GEO, HeatSmart Tompkins, Fossil Free Tompkins, Sane Energy Project, Frack Action, Pace Energy and Climate Center, Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition, Earthjustice, Mothers Out Front, and NYPIRG.