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NYSEG rep says smart‑meter rollout nearly complete; cites wholesale price spikes and pending rate case
Summary
A NYSEG representative told the committee the company installed about 53,000–54,000 smart meters, estimated under 2,000 opt‑outs, and cautioned that wholesale natural‑gas price spikes and a recent nuclear plant closure have driven supply prices higher; a pending rate case may slow further updates.
The committee discussed utility issues with a New York State Electric & Gas representative (speaker 6) during the meeting’s old‑business segment. The representative said the company had completed installation of roughly "a little over 53,000 or 54,000 meters" in the mechanical division and that fewer than 2,000 customers remain who have opted out or are seasonal.
"We installed a little over 53,000 or 54,000 meters throughout the mechanical division," the speaker said, and added that a small number of customers either chose to opt out or have seasonal service. The representative described recent market volatility: wholesale energy prices rose with high demand during bitter cold and, he said, were influenced by natural‑gas generation and the recent closure of a nuclear plant. "There was that 1 day, it was 96¢ a kilowatt hour on the market," he said, illustrating the period of extreme wholesale cost spikes.
The NYSEG speaker said a rate case is underway that seeks a revenue increase, but said negotiations and litigation related to the filing could delay outcomes until summer. Committee members asked whether new heavier, insulated lines or other reliability upgrades would be installed in the county; the representative said some rebuilds and targeted automation projects are underway but large‑scale voltage upgrades require longer planning and funding cycles.
Why it matters: the utility update touches both customer bills and local reliability — factors relevant to public‑safety preparedness and municipal budgeting — while the pending rate case could influence future costs to residents and municipalities.
