Westchester County Board of Legislators sign on to rate case against proposed Con Ed hikes

The Westchester County Board of Legislators signed on as a party in the New York State Public Service Commission's case involving Con Edison's new proposed rate increases Monday, March 10.

The board voted unanimously to sign onto the rate case along with County Executive Ken Jenkins to "protect working-class families, seniors and business owners and safeguard the availability of affordable electricity and gas for all Westchester residents," a spokesperson for the board said Monday.

The board of legislators says it's committed to centering Westchester residents' concerns throughout the rate case proceedings and making struggling families' voices heard.

What is a 'rate case?'

Rate cases are different from court proceedings and are used by the New York State Public Service Commission to determine and regulate the amounts to charge customers for any utility, including electricity, gas, water and steam, according to the Public Utility Law Project of New York.

The Public Service Commission is responsible for approving or rejecting any rate proposal through the case.

“It’s completely unfathomable to me that the CEO of Con Edison makes $16 million and yet we are asking working people in Westchester County to foot the bill for paying for corporate greed and shareholder profits," said County Legislator David Imamura at the board meeting Monday. "It’s absolutely outrageous that all people want to do is turn the lights on and keep their homes warm, but are being asked to front $500 to $1,000 right now.

"That's even before the rate increase."

Con Edison's plans to increase rates

Con Edison announced Jan. 31 that it is seeking to increase customers' billing rates by 11.4% and gas bills by 13.3% to fund new infrastructure investments that would "help the company maintain its nation-leading reliable electric service and continue fortifying its energy systems, as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe."

Many New York State and Westchester County lawmakers, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-17) called on the New York State Public Service Commission to reject the proposal.

Westchester County Legislator Erika Pierce said in a board meeting Monday that when she looked at reports related to the proposed rate increase, which cites infrastructure investment as part of the upcharge, she noticed that there appeared to be no such infrastructure improvements planned for any location in Westchester County.

“The fact that there is a substantial upcharge for infrastructure which has no direct bearing on Westchester County is a major red flag for us here," Pierce said.

“We are drawing a line in the sand against these excessive rate hikes that would devastate Westchester families and seniors already struggling with rising costs," said board chairman Vedat Gashi (D-New Castle) "By joining this rate case, we're ensuring our residents have a powerful voice at the table where decisions are made.”

Westchester residents, lawmakers rally against Con Ed proposal

Westchester residents have been protesting the rate hike with physical evidence, bringing their exorbitant electricity and gas bills (some of which exceeded $1,000) to their representatives and posting them online to show the impact the increased costs could have on their households.

“Con Edison is putting corporate profits over the people of NY,” said State Senator Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan). “This is not just a rate hike, this is an attack on people struggling. Heat and electricity are not luxuries, they’re lifelines” he said at a rally led by State Sen. Shelley B. Mayer (D-White Plains) on Feb. 14.

The Board of Legislators said County Executive Ken Jenkins, Chairman Vedat Gashi and other legislators will participate in the Public Service Commission’s online hearings in early April.

“The Public Service Commission should pull the plug on this proposal and demand a plan that actually works for consumers, not just Con Ed’s bottom line," said Jenkins in a statement Monday. "While we all recognize the need for reliable energy and infrastructure improvements, passing excessive costs onto consumers — especially without transparency and accountability — is simply unacceptable.”

If the Public Service Commission approves the proposal, the proposed rate increases are expected to take effect by Jan. 1, 2026.