New Yorkers are paying some of the highest electric bills in America, and the true cost of electricity is being hidden in plain sight through state-imposed mandates, fees and climate policies that have pushed utility costs far above the national average.
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, New Yorkers pay an average of 70 percent more for power than the national average. Critics argue that a growing share of those costs stems from Albany’s aggressive climate agenda rather than the electricity consumers actually use.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said only a fraction of the typical electric bill reflects the actual cost of power.
“New Yorkers are paying 70% more for energy than the rest of America, but only 30% of your bill actually pays for the power you use,” Blakeman said. “The other 70% is swallowed up by hidden taxes and green mandates that do absolutely nothing for the environment. Gov. Hochul quietly forced through $4 billion in utility rate increases while hoarding $2.4 billion of your money in a state energy tax slush fund.”
Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano said New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act has accelerated the state’s transition away from conventional power generation without ensuring adequate replacement capacity.
“The CLCPA is making electricity more expensive for every family and business in New York,” DeStefano said. “We’re retiring reliable power plants, imposing costly mandates and forcing consumers to pay for an energy transition that isn’t ready. At the same time, we’re putting the reliability of our electric grid at risk by reducing dependable generation before replacement resources are in place.”
Those concerns mirror a recent assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which warned that Long Island and other downstate regions face increasing risks of electricity shortages later this decade as demand rises, older generating plants retire and replacement resources fail to keep pace.
State Sen. Dean Murray said New Yorkers cannot continue absorbing higher energy costs.
“At a time when New Yorkers are already facing an affordability crisis, the last thing they need are drastic increases in energy costs, especially when we already pay some of the highest rates in the nation,” Murray said. “We must repeal the CLCPA and all of the mandates attached to it and focus on an all-of-the-above approach that keeps affordable energy options available to all New Yorkers.”
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said the state’s affordability message rings hollow while energy costs continue to climb.
“They’ve been talking about affordability while championing policies that they know are driving up costs and making life less affordable,” Ortt said. “You can’t just say affordability and wish it into existence when you’re passing laws that could add thousands of dollars to people’s bills and potentially push gasoline to $5 or more at the pump.”
Local officials, environmental groups, and ratepayers were astonished when Gov. Hochul announced her intention to replace aging power plants with nuclear facilities, a plan that would be impractical given the lead time to build them, community opposition, and their enormous cost.