AM Shrestha, Ulster County Exec Metzger Urge Hochul to Stop Utilities Making Energy Unaffordable, Pass NY HEAT

KINGSTON, NY (12/11/2024) (readMedia)-- On Thursday, December 12th, Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha will join with Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, and Hudson Valley residents and advocates to rally against continued heating bill rate hikes and demand lawmakers pass the NY HEAT Act this session. The group will rally outside Energy Square, the first net-zero affordable housing development in Upstate New York.

As winter begins, gas utilities across the state are yet again looking to raise rates and charge everyday New Yorkers 18% more for heat. 1 in 4 New Yorkers already can't afford energy prices - and a clear majority are desperate for policies to make life more affordable for them.

The NY HEAT Act, which would help control future gas rate hikes, save the families who need it most $136/month on average, and move New York to a 21st-century energy system, is popular across party lines. The bill has broad support across the legislature and almost passed last year before dying in the Assembly in the last days of the legislative session. Now, Hudson Valley residents are asking: Our bills are going up, what are the Assembly and Governor Hochul doing about it? Assembly lawmakers must deliver for their constituents and prioritize the NY HEAT Act when they return to Albany.

This event will be livestreamed.