Kingston council urges state to pass Hudson Valley Power Authority after extended public comment

The Kingston Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to call on the New York State Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act, a measure to enable a regional public utility, after an extended public comment period in which dozens of residents urged the council to back the bill.

The vote — 8 to 0 — came after roughly an hour of speakers who described billing errors, high rates and service problems attributed to Central Hudson, and who said a public authority could protect ratepayers and workers. “Ratepayers would be facing massive increases in their power bills,” said Michael Hychuck, a representative of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 320, who urged caution about public power based on past examples; others countered that public ownership could prioritize affordability and accountability.

Supporters framed the measure as both consumer protection and a route to faster clean-energy investment. “Power should be public,” said Daniel Woodham, a Kingston resident and caseworker, recounting instances in which clients faced confusing, high bills and required assistance from elected officials’ offices. Community organizer Jenna Goldstein said the bill would “give workers a seat on the board of trustees and 2 seats on the Observatory’s governing board while maintaining their current benefits, retirement plan, their union, and their right to strike.”

Speakers described specific billing harms: one resident said a household was charged about $11,000 despite documents showing a zero balance; another said a solar installation sat offline for months while Central Hudson delayed interconnection. Business owner Jennifer Donovan said rising delivery charges threaten small businesses’ viability; several speakers noted that a substantial share of utility profits flows out of the local economy to a Canadian parent company.

Council discussion was brief and procedural. Alderman Renny Scott Childress moved a clerical change to update the bill numbers to the versions now before the Legislature (assembly A.02127, senate S.02026). Several council members, including Alderman Bob Denison and Alderman Sarah Pasti, said they supported the resolution; no council member opposed it.

The resolution, numbered 18 of 02/2025 on the meeting agenda, asks the state to pass the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act and lists the local reasons council members and residents offered: alleged inconsistent billing, high rates, perceived lack of accountability, and the potential for public ownership to provide reinvestment and worker protections. The motion as recorded did not specify a mover on the resolution itself; the council adopted the measure, 8 to 0.

The resolution is advisory and requests state action; it does not change utility ownership immediately. Advocates and several speakers told the council the local vote is intended to signal community support to state lawmakers, who would have authority to create or authorize a new public power entity. The council also recorded the updated state bill numbers for legislators: A.02127 and S.02026.

The council’s action sends a formal statement to the state legislature and governor but does not by itself transfer assets or set implementation details. Supporters emphasized that the state-level law would include worker protections, seats for labor on governing bodies, and provisions intended to shield pensions and bargaining rights. Opponents in the audience were limited; the public-comment speakers included both advocates and critics of public power, and the council preserved record of those views by adopting the resolution after the public comment period.

The Common Council will notify the state delegation of its vote and the bill numbers it supports; further steps would be controlled by the state Legislature and executive branch.