Greentech Lead America: New York residents pay some of the highest energy bills in the nation, and they are sick of it, says a new AARP survey conducted by Siena pollsters.
New Yorkers 18+ want to change the game and level the playing field in utility rate hike and complex regulatory cases – and they don’t feel their lawmakers are helping.
New York also lags behind many other states in the country in adopting clean energy sources. As per the National Solar Database, New York stands at No.10 position with less than 100 MW solar capacity installed in the year 2012.
There were 3,313 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed throughout the year in the entire U.S. California leads with 1,033 MW in annual installed capacity.
The AARP survey finds strong support for legislation creating an independent utility consumer advocate office to represent the interests of New York residential ratepayers before the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) in rate hike and regulatory issues, including those in the telecom industry. Such offices are established in 40 other states in the nation.
In the survey 72 percent are concerned about energy rates going up while 76 percent say New York consumers’ interests aren’t represented in rate cases. Also, 75 percent don’t feel their elected officials are doing enough to help when rates increase and another 75 percent support creating a utility consumer advocate office in New York.
“New Yorkers are getting hammered by soaring energy bills and utility companies have the money, resources and muscle to push these bills even higher with another rate hike. Consumers lack, literally, all of those tools in New York State, and it’s time to change the game,” said Beth Finkel, state director for AARP in New York.
“This survey found New Yorkers are sick and tired of soaring bills and they want their lawmakers to do something about it. New York has got to catch up with the rest of the nation,” Finkel added.
Legislation setting up an independent utility consumer advocate office in New York, Assembly Bill 6239 sponsored by AssemblymanJeff Dinowitz (D-Bronx) and Senate Bill 4550 sponsored by Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island), has recently been introduced in the state legislature.
“AARP commends Assemblyman Dinowitz and Senator Savino for their leadership on this issue and for taking a stand to ensure consumers’ voices are heard with the force they should be,” added Finkel. “The PSC’s regulatory proceedings will continue to be flawed without the full residential ratepayer representation by an independent consumer advocate this legislation provides.”