Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenter urges public authority to curb Central Hudson rate increases
Summary
Daniel Tona told the council he opposed annual rate increases approved by the Public Service Commission for Central Hudson and voiced support for legislation creating a Hudson Valley Power Authority; he also linked higher utility bills to broader fiscal pressures on municipalities.
Daniel Tona, a Ward 8 resident and community organizer, told the Common Council that the state Public Service Commission approved a multi-year rate increase for Central Hudson that he said will raise local gas and electric bills and fund $2,800,000 in executive bonuses, and he urged support for a Hudson Valley Power Authority bill in the state legislature. Tona said public ownership via a public authority could run the utility without profit-driven incentives and that the region needs a public utility focused on lower costs rather than profit. He said he has attended PSC hearings and rallies and plans to continue organizing on the issue. Why it matters: Utility-rate decisions affect household and municipal budgets; public-comment calls for structural changes to utility ownership reflect a policy debate happening at the state level. Details and next steps: The transcript is a public comment; the Common Council did not take a formal position on Central Hudson or the Hudson Valley Power Authority during the recorded meeting. Tona said he will address the subject in future meetings and urged local support for the legislative effort.
