Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris, Assembly Member Mamdani Lead Over 50 Legislators Demanding PSC Hold An Additional Hearing Before Con Edison Raises Customer Rates

ASTORIA, N.Y. – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani led over 50 of their Senate and Assembly colleagues in calling on the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to hold an additional hearing before finalizing their decision in the Con Edison rate case.

“Ratepayers are going to see their supply charges go up this winter, hitting them in the wallets in a dramatic way. New York State must step in and let consumers have their say before allowing ConEd to increase rates yet again,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.

“An additional $60/month in ConEd charges is something that my constituents simply cannot afford. Yet, when I canvass our neighbors about this rate case, I find that far too few of them have even heard of it. New Yorkers deserve to have a place to testify how ConEd’s corporate greed and continued funding of fossil fuel infrastructure could push them out of the neighborhoods they call home. We call on Governor Kathy Hochul’s Public Service Commission to grant us that,” said Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. 

Con Ed has asked the PSC for permission to raise delivery charges – the amount they charge ratepayers for having their service – starting January, 2023. The last public hearing on the rate case took place in March 2022 – well before Con Ed announced they would likely be passing on substantial increases in supply charges to consumers this winter. Despite that, they continue to ask for increases in delivery charges which would raise bills for consumers even more.

The letter was signed by Senators Cordell Cleare, Robert Jackson, Liz Krueger, Shelley B. Mayer, Toby Ann Stavisky, Pete Harkham, Andrew Gounardes, Brad Hoylman, Simcha Felder, Anna Kaplan, Luis Sepúlveda, Jessica Ramos, John Liu, Zellnor Myrie, Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Alessandra Biaggi, Gustavo Rivera and Assembly Members Nily Rozic, Linda Rosenthal, Karines Reyes, Marcela Mitaynes, Andrew Hevesi, Aileen Gunther, Emily Gallagher, Phara Forrest, Harvey Epstein, Catalina Cruz, Kenny Burgos, Chris Burdick, Brian Barnwell, Mathylde Frontus, Yuh-Line Niou, Richard Gottfried, Rebecca Seawright, Clyde Vanel, Jo Anne Simon, Manny De Los Santos, Robert Carroll, Nathalia Fernandez, Daniel O’Donnell, Latoya Joyner, David Weprin, Khaleel Anderson, Deborah Glick, Amanda Septimo, Jessica Gonzalez Rojas, Al Taylor, Brian Cunningham, and Michael Reilly.

Read the full letter here.

ABOUT SENATE DEPUTY LEADER MICHAEL GIANARIS: Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris represents the 12^th Senate district and serves as Deputy Leader of the New York State Senate.

ABOUT ASSEMBLY MEMBER ZOHRAN MAMDANI: Assembly Member Zohran Kwame Mamdani represents the 36th Assembly District and its neighborhoods of Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway, and Astoria Heights. Previously a foreclosure prevention housing counselor, Zohran is the first South Asian man and first Ugandan to serve in the NYS Assembly.