Long Islanders are facing some of the nation’s highest utility costs as rising electric and natural gas bills intensify debate over New York’s energy policies and affordability crisis.
Long Islanders are continuing to face some of the highest utility costs in the nation as rising gasoline, electric and natural gas bills fuel growing debate over New York’s climate and energy policies.
Recent increases impacting Long Island customers include sharp jumps in PSEG Long Island’s Power Supply Charge, which rose about 3.39 percent in January and another 13.23 percent in February. National Grid customers also saw additional increases tied to delivery and supply costs earlier this year.
Critics say the price hikes are part of a broader trend tied to New York’s aggressive clean-energy mandates and the state’s ongoing transition away from traditional fossil fuel power generation.
A recent state energy analysis connected to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act projected that households could eventually face annual energy cost increases ranging from $2,300 to $4,000. The report also estimated gasoline prices could rise by more than $2 per gallon under some scenarios, while businesses could face energy-related cost increases between 13 percent and 46 percent.
Local officials said the findings highlight growing affordability concerns for Suffolk County residents already burdened by high taxes, housing costs and inflation.
“At a time when we are already facing an affordability crisis, the last thing we need are drastic increases in energy costs, especially when we already pay some of the highest rates in the nation,” said State Sen. Dean Murray, who has joined some of his Republican colleagues in calling for a pause in state taxes on energy.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a candidate for governor against Gov Kathy Hochul, went further, calling the situation a “utility bill state of emergency” and blaming Albany policies for driving up costs.
“New Yorkers are paying 70% more for electricity than the rest of the nation,” Blakeman noted. “Seventy percent of your bill isn’t even for the power you use — it’s taxes, fees and mandates.”
“The Progressive Democrats are pushing an agenda that forces families to pay more, but they don’t seem to care,” charged Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. “It’s like they are living in a land of green energy make-believe and have no grasp on the real-world consequences.”
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt agreed, saying that the majority continues “championing policies that they know are driving up costs and making life less affordable.”
Signals from budget debates in Albany indicate that legislative leaders may be open to delaying some green-energy mandates, including a switch to all-electric school buses and fire engines, as well as restrictions involving natural gas heating and cooling.
The issue is expected to remain a major topic of debate as residents continue grappling with mounting utility bills and broader cost-of-living pressures, including rising gasoline prices tied to instability and conflict in the Middle East.