Staten Islanders: Con Edison Rate Hikes Are Coming – If This Impacts You, Make Your Voice Heard At Several Public Hearings

Rep. AOC reminds us to participate in the Con Edison rate hike hearings that are coming up.  While the Bronx hearing has now passed, there are two hearings this month on Staten Island.  The company wants to increase its electricity and natural gas delivery rates, with “an 11.3 percent increase in total revenues or 17.9 percent increase in base delivery revenues” for electricity, and “a 10.5 percent increase in total revenues or 14.9 percent increase in base delivery revenues” for natural gas delivery.  The impact of the rate changes will impact different customer classes differently depending on how their bill is calculated, but rates are likely to go up for everyone by at least some amount.  For Staten Islanders, the hearings are on July 22nd and July 25th:

Your Utility Bill Could Go Up – Here’s Your Chance to Speak Up at a Public Hearing

Constituents across our district continue to struggle staying afloat financially while Con Edison is proposing a rate increase. This week, the New York State Public Service Commission (“PSC”) will be holding a public hearing on proposed increases to Con Edison’s electric and gas delivery rates in New York’s 14th District.

Why should I participate?

When a utility company (like your electric, gas, or private water provider) wants to change how  much it charges to deliver service to your home, it must first file a request with the PSC. The filing of that request kicks off a formal administrative process referred to as a rate case.

During the rate case process, the company must explain  why it needs to raise rates and provide detailed information about its costs and future plans.

Other parties – such as consumers, local governments, and other stakeholders – can participate in this process by submitting testimony, asking questions, and making arguments regarding the utility’s request.

Whether you want to comment on increased rates or reliability, your voice matters!

Details: 

When: Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM

Where: Residence Inn – Marriott Meeting Rooms A and B – 1776 Eastchester Road Bronx, NY, 10461

How do I participate?

If participating IN-PERSON – no advanced registration is required. Individuals will be called to speak  after signing in and completing a request card.

If participating VIRTUALLY – You must register in advance of the hearing to speak. Registration information can be found on the PSC’s public hearing calendar or in the Rate Case’s DMM docket.

Whether you are participating virtually or in-person, we encourage constituents to prepare brief written remarks. Don’t worry about being perfect! Your voice matters even if you are new to this process. Some general tips:

• State your name, where you’re from, and whether you’re a customer.
• Try to keep your comments clear and under 3 minutes.
• Be sure to thank the PSC for holding the hearings.

In Service,

The Office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

 

These are the hearings for Staten Island, taken from the below info from the Commission: 

 

Here is the info about the public hearings from the NYC.gov website.  It includes additional ways to participate if you can’t attend a public hearing: 

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold in-person public statement hearings starting on Tuesday, July 8, Wednesday, July 9, Thursday, July 10, Tuesday, July 22, and Wednesday, July 23, 2025, concerning the proposed changes in the electric and gas delivery rates and practices of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Edison).

Con Edison filed amendments to its electric and gas tariff schedules on January 31, 2025, proposing to increase its annual electric and gas delivery revenues for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2026.  As of its April 10, 2025 updated testimony, Con Edison proposes to increase its electric delivery revenues by approximately $1.6 billion (an 11.3 percent increase in total revenues or 17.9 percent increase in base delivery revenues), and its natural gas delivery revenues by approximately $349 million (a 10.5 percent increase in total revenues or 14.9 percent increase in base delivery revenues). The actual bill impacts of these proposed changes on any particular customer class will vary based upon revenue allocation and rate design.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that in-person public statement hearings will be held before Administrative Law Judges on:

 

It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance or to present written material to speak at an in-person hearing. Individuals will be called to speak after completing a request card.

Each public statement hearing will be open for at least thirty minutes or until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. A verbatim transcript of each public statement hearing will be included in the record of these proceedings.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources Management Office at 518-473-9463 as soon as possible. TDD users may use the New York Relay Service at 711 to contact the Department of Public Service. Persons with difficulty understanding or reading English are encouraged to call (800) 342-3377 or email languageaccess@dps.ny.gov for free language assistance services with this press release. To request a translator or sign language interpreter so you can participate at a specific public statement hearing, please contact the Department at least 10 days before the hearing by calling (800) 342-3377 or emailing your request to languageaccess@dps.ny.gov.

Other Ways to Comment

For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at a public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Commission. All comments should refer to “Case 25-E-0072 – Con Edison” or “Case 25-G-0073 – Con Edison.” All comments must be received by November 21, 2025.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “File Search” (located under the heading “Commission Files”), enter “25-E-0072” or “25-G-0073” in the “Search by Case Number” box, and then click on “Post Comments” at the top right of the page.

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York, 12223-1350; however, electronic filing of comments is strongly encouraged. All written comments submitted to the Secretary will be posted on the Department’s website and will become part of the record of the proceeding in which they are posted. Please be advised that the Commission may not consider untimely comments. Comments may be accessed on the Department’s website by searching the case numbers, as described above, and clicking on the “Public Comments” tab.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may submit comments by calling the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is set up to receive comments about pending cases from in-State callers 24-hours a day. These comments are not transcribed, but a summary is provided to the Commission.

Banner Image: Electricity. Image Credit – Marek Piwnicki