As Gov Hochul Doubles Down on Gas, National Grid Hikes Rates Another 11% in NYC and Long Island

ALBANY, NY (03/31/2026) (readMedia)-- Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1, National Grid will again raise rates for New York City and Long Island customers. The 11% rate hike will add $22.09 to NYC customers' gas bills, on average. This comes after last year's $9.61 average hike, and 2024's $30.18 - amounting to more than $60 in just three years. This latest rate hike also comes as the war in Iran surges fossil fuel prices - meaning New Yorkers, already stunned by all-time high gas bills this past winter, must plan for ever-increasingly unaffordable bills. Meanwhile, in Albany, Governor Hochul is attempting to gut the climate law, double down on skyrocketing gas, and keep New Yorkers paying more and more.

"1 in 4 New Yorkers couldn't afford their energy bills even before National Grid's 2024 rate hike. Now, their bills are about to be $60 higher, and that's before factoring in the impacts of the war in Iran. Governor Hochul's answer? A public meltdown focused on dismantling the climate law, the very policy that could actually decrease New York's dependence on gas and solve this energy affordability crisis. Struggling New Yorkers are depending on the the state budget to deliver real solutions that will actually lower energy bills - not secret deals to gut the climate law," said Liz Moran, New York Policy Advocate at Earthjustice.

Earlier this month, Governor Hochul revealed vague parts of her plan to gut New York's climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which is designed to reduce New York's reliance on volatile fossil fuels and stabilize energy prices with clean, affordable energy. Hochul's plan would allow New York to maintain the fossil fuel status quo by changing how we account for methane, making it appear that New York's emissions have declined when they have actually stayed the same. Hochul also wants to delay any requirement to even introduce regulations for the law until December 31, 2030.

Despite Hochul's posturing, delaying climate action will do nothing to lower New Yorkers' energy bills because it won't reduce the state's reliance on costly and volatile methane gas, which is the true driver of higher energy bills. Gas prices were at an all-time high even before the war on Iran surged fossil fuel prices, and 1 in 4 New Yorkers already cannot afford their energy bills. Hochul even admitted herself that the climate law is not to blame for rising bills. Weakening the law will enable utilities to continue profiting from expensive, imported fossil fuels for longer, while New Yorkers continue to struggle with skyrocketing utility bills.

The climate law is New York's best bet to transition to a fairer, cleaner energy system that is efficient and affordable. Implementing the climate law will lower energy bills and create tens of thousands of jobs. Meanwhile, doing nothing and relying on our current fossil fuel status quo will cost New Yorkers more than $115 billion, according to the State's own data.

Other countries have figured this out. In response to rising gas prices, countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, and Pakistan are instead investing in renewables to lower costs and achieve energy independence. Even red states have figured this out: Texas got nearly 40% of their power from wind and solar in 2025, while New York has just recently hit around 10%. Texas isn't investing in renewables because they're better for the climate. It's because they're cheap.