Energy and Telecommunications Committee advances package of utility bills to rules, calendar and first reading

At the committee's first meeting of 2025, chaired by State Senator Kevin Parker, members voted to advance a package of bills on utility consumer protections, reporting requirements and oversight. Several measures were sent to the rules committee, one was placed on the calendar and multiple items moved to first reading.

The committee’s agenda focused on affordability and consumer protections, with Chairman Kevin Parker saying the panel would prioritize “affordability” and “making sure we have safe and reliable, and resilient energy and telecommunications infrastructure in the state of New York.” The bills covered a range of topics including prohibiting service terminations during extreme temperatures, audits of private water companies, standards for payment plans, arrears reporting, fixed-charge adjustments, automatic payment plans, and oversight of small water utilities.

Most bills were moved with “proper” motions and seconded, with only a small number of recorded dissenting or “without recommendation” votes noted in the transcript. Where the transcript records a numerical objection, that count is reported here; full roll-call tallies and named votes were not provided in the committee record excerpt.

Votes at a glance

- Bill 120 (sponsor recorded in transcript as “Senator Declared”): An act to amend the Public Service Law prohibiting termination of residential utility service during forecast or extreme temperatures. Motion moved and seconded; committee recorded one nay vote in the transcript and the bill was advanced to the rules committee.

- Bill 597 (sponsor transcript: Senator Henshey): Amend Public Service Law, Environmental Conservation Law and State Finance Law regarding reporting requirements and audits of private water companies. Motion moved and seconded; advanced to the Finance committee (transcript notes “moving to finance”).

- Bill 904 (sponsor transcript: Senator Gonzales): Amend Public Service Law regarding termination of certain utility services. Moved and seconded; advanced to rules committee.

- Bill 1,194 (sponsor transcript: Senator Doble): Laid aside (transcript: “being laid aside”).

- Bill 1,327 (sponsor: Senator Parker): Establishing minimum standards for payment plans for eligible customers. Moved and seconded; advanced to rules committee.

- Bill 1,328 (sponsor: Senator Parker): Requiring establishment of utility customer arrears reporting. Moved and seconded; advanced to rules committee (transcript notes one “without recommendation”).

- Bill 1,329 (sponsor: Senator Parker): Adjustment of electrical residential fixed charges. Moved and seconded; advanced to rules committee.

- Bill 1,330 (sponsor: Senator Parker): Requiring establishment of automatic payment plans. Moved and seconded; advanced to rules committee.

- Bill 1,334: Laid aside (transcript: “being laid aside”).

- Bill 1,553 (sponsor: Senator Parker): Credit for electricity generated by a customer generator subject to net energy metering. Moved to first reading.

- Bill 1,668 (sponsor: Senator Harcombe): Authorizing NYSERDA to administer grants for switching residents to electric heat pumps. Moved to first reading.

- Bill 1,701 (sponsor: Senator Mayer): Strengthening utility storm response and compliance. Moved and advanced to rules committee (transcript records two no votes and one without recommendation).

- Bill 1,847 (sponsor: Senator Comerade): Requiring evidence and consideration of economic impact of utility rates and charges by the Public Service Commission. Moved and advanced to rules committee (transcript records two without recommendation).

- Bill 1,848 (sponsor: Senator Harcombe): Requiring corporations and municipalities to notify property owners prior to beginning certain services. Moved and advanced to the calendar.

- Bill 1,896 (sponsor: Senator Mayer): Requiring adoption of a common equity ratio and rate of return on equity authorized by the Public Service Commission. Moved and advanced to rules committee (transcript notes one without recommendation).

- Bill 2,182 (sponsor: Senator Henshey): Permitting rendering of an estimated bill by a utility under certain circumstances. Moved and advanced to rules committee.

Committee discussion and procedure

Most measures drew procedural discussion rather than extended debate about policy specifics. Chairman Parker explained that bills were being moved to the rules committee in order to expedite their path to the floor: “They're planning on moving some of these bills, shortly. And so then they're gonna move them, through the rules committee in order to bring them directly to the floor,” he said.

There were isolated questions about specific topics raised during the calendar review: Senator Mattera asked about feasibility studies for carbon capture, geothermal and other renewable options; Chairman Parker said he was “open to examining a specific proposal that is brought to ORES for citing.” A question was asked about modular or new nuclear facilities; Parker said no petition to site a new nuclear facility had been submitted to the state as of the meeting.

What the record shows and what it does not

The committee transcript excerpt records motions, seconds and brief recorded tallies (for example, single no votes or “without recommendation” notations). The excerpt does not contain full roll-call vote sheets or a complete named vote record for each bill; those official documents would reside in the committee clerk’s roll-call records.

Ending

Chairman Parker closed the meeting after the calendar and recognized the committee would continue work this session on affordability, transmission and interconnection, and broadband access as priorities for the Energy And Telecommunications Committee.