As Floods Devastate NY, Advocates Push Governor Hochul to Sign Bill Repealing 100-Foot Rule ASAP

ALBANY, NY (07/17/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, as floods continue to devastate the tri-state area, advocates across New York State launched a push urging Governor Hochul to sign legislation to repeal the expensive and outdated "100-foot rule," a hidden energy charge that forces working class families to pay for expanded fracked gas pipelines and corporate utility profits. The 100-foot rule is a relic of the past, and ending it is a common sense way to save New Yorkers money while helping transition us away from the fossil fuels that are supercharging deadly storms, flooding, and heat waves across the state. The Senate and Assembly delivered - now, the Governor must finish the job and sign the bill into law before this year's Climate Week.

"Ending the 100-foot rule is a simple way for the Governor to address skyrocketing energy bills and climate disasters that are getting worse every year. This bill is a first step to ending the mandate that forces families to pay for the expansion of dirty, fracked gas pipelines we don't need. With roads washed away and water flooding our subways, the least the Governor can do is sign this bill into law as soon as possible," said Jessica Azulay, Executive Director of Alliance for a Green Economy.

Repealing this outdated mandate is the only significant legislation passed this year to address New York's climate and energy affordability crises. The 100-foot rule is a hidden tax that forces families to pay for the cost of new hookups to the gas system, driving up energy bills and propping up the expansion of New York's dirty fracked gas infrastructure. By signing this legislation, Governor Hochul can end that mandate, saving New Yorkers an estimated $200 million every year and enabling the state to transition to a cleaner, more affordable energy future.

New Yorkers cannot wait any longer. As New Yorkers face another summer of extreme, climate change-fueled weather that includes dangerous heat waves and historic floods, repealing the 100-foot rule is more urgent than ever. Between now and September 21st, the beginning of Climate Week NYC 2025, advocates and lawmakers will rally across the state to pressure Governor Hochul to side with working people who cannot afford continued inaction.

"Just last week the Trump Administration launched an unprecedented assault on average Americans, a Big Ugly Bill that will intensify both the affordability crisis and the climate crisis that New Yorkers are already suffering from daily. These assaults demand a response from states like New York, and signing the 100-ft rule repeal is a perfect opportunity for the governor to provide relief for New Yorkers' gas utility costs as well as action to fight the climate crisis that floods our communities one day and scorches them the next. This bill will save New York gas customers $200 million every year, and ensure that you are no longer forced, without any choice, to pay for your neighbor's new gas hookup. This bill is smart policy that delivers for New Yorkers on affordability and climate action, and I urge the governor to sign it soon," said Senator Liz Krueger.

"Last winter, more than a million utility customers in New York were behind at least two months on their bills and nearly $2 billion in arrears, while more than 400,000 received shut off notices. That's why legislation repealing the onerous and outdated ratepayer subsidy known as the "100-foot rule" is so important. It will save current customers more than $200 million and also serve as an incentive for new customers to seek cheaper clean energy alternatives," said Senator Pete Harckham.

"As New York reels from another flood, it's unconscionable that we are subsidizing the very fracked gas industry that drives these extreme weather events. I urge Governor Hochul to sign my bill to end the 100-ft rule, which will move us away from fossil fuels and save New Yorkers money on their utility bills. Hard-working New Yorkers shouldn't be forced to pay $200 million a year to line the pockets of utility shareholders. We must prioritize making New York more affordable and safe from these severe storms," said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.

"I'm proud to have voted for Assembly Bill A8888 because it eliminates an outdated hidden charge that's been buried in utility bills for far too long. The 100-foot rule forced ratepayers to subsidize gas system expansion while adding to corporate utility profits. This legislation ends that practice and ensures those who want new gas connections pay for them directly, rather than passing those costs on to everyone else. It's common-sense reform that protects ratepayers from hidden fees and creates a more equitable energy system. New Yorkers deserve transparency in their utility bills, not subsidizing corporate expansion," said Assemblymember Harry Bronson.

"People who have natural gas in their homes can see in their utility bills that gas is incredibly expensive. For the health of our planet and our pocketbooks, we must transition away from using gas as quickly as we possibly can. Ending the 100-foot rule is a small but important step in the right direction, as it will enable utility companies to stop forcing all ratepayers to subsidize the continued expansion of the gas network. I urge the Governor to sign this bill into law as soon as possible," said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg.

"The 100-foot rule is archaic and out of step with the times. Eliminating the 100-foot rule will ensure existing ratepayers will no longer have to subsidize the cost of connecting new ratepayers to the gas system. New Yorkers pay some of the highest utility rates in the nation and New York should be taking measures to alleviate these costs. I urge Governor Hochul to sign A.8888/S.8417 to eliminate the 100-foot rule, and other legislation which would substantively help New Yorkers, including my legislation A.2468/S.6277 which would create the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate. In doing so, New York will be taking proactive measures to ease the burden ratepayers currently face," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

"The 100-foot rule requires all ratepayers to pay for a natural gas hookup in new construction rather than the individual customer choosing gas. Utility rates have skyrocketed, driven by maintaining the existing gas system. Our state energy policy goals prioritize the use of renewable energy. Ratepayers who already pay to maintain the gas system should not have to also pay for new gas hookups. The cost of those connections should be borne by the customer choosing the new gas service line, not ratepayers. For these reasons, this bill has passed both houses of the legislature and is to be considered by the Governor," said Assemblyman Steve Otis.

"This year, the legislature passed an exceedingly modest bill to end the 100-foot rule and ensure that ratepayers no longer are forced to foot the bill to expand antiquated gas infrastructure. The bill we passed did not go nearly far enough to move New York State away from increasingly expensive, polluting, leak-prone gas infrastructure, but it was an important start. Ending the 100-foot rule will ensure New York is moving in the direction of permanently affordable energy, healthier homes, and a fossil fuel-free future. If the Governor is serious about advancing New York's climate and affordability goals, she will sign it," said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.

"Ending the 100-foot rule is the first step in a 20-25 year process of getting New Yorkers off fossil fuels and onto clean alternative energy. It removes the more than $200M/year charge that all ratepayers pick up to pay for the FREE hookups that continue to expand the gas infrastructure. In a time where affordability is the catch-word, this is not only the right thing to do, but the least we can do to get New York moving in the right direction. I strongly urge the Governor to sign this into law right away," said Assemblyman Al Stirpe.

"The 100-foot rule forces my constituents to pay more on their energy bills to expand the same gas system that is causing extreme heats, floods, and storms that are hurting our community. Eliminating this outdated mandate is the least that we as lawmakers can do to protect our constituents, which is why I was proud to support legislation to repeal it. But our job is not done. Governor Hochul must stand up for the millions of New Yorkers who are struggling to deal with unaffordable energy bills and extreme weather, and sign this bill into law," said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest.

"In 2023, when our utility Central Hudson filed for a rate increase, it asked for an increase of $44.3 million over five years to pay for 'customer requested service connections', and a year later, an increase of $29 million over five years for the same reason. And we see in the ongoing rate case that gas delivery rates are going up by higher than electricity delivery rates, because gas infrastructure is much more expensive to own and maintain. If we keep subsidizing the expansion of this infrastructure, not only are customers on the hook to pay for the cost of new connections, they're also on the hook for additional costs attached to the expansion, such as additional authorized profits calculated from the value of that new asset, the property taxes and interest owed on the new asset, as well as the cost of doing maintenance on that new asset-even though such assets are destined to be stranded. I'm glad that the legislature was able to come together to end subsidizing the 100ft rule, which the Governor has previously supported in her Executive Budget. I look forward to a swift signing and enactment of this law," said Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha.