Didi Barrett: Listen To Your Constituents, Pass The NY HEAT Act NOW!

KINGSTON, NY (03/28/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, as frustration mounts over skyrocketing energy bills, Hudson Valley residents and advocates are demanding that Assemblymember Didi Barrett, who is the Assembly Energy Committee Chair, get on board with the NY HEAT Act. The NY HEAT Act would limit the amount households are forced to pay for energy and save the Hudson Valley families who need help most an average of $164 every month on their bills.

Central Hudson is charging its customers dramatically more for the same heat, costing the average household nearly $20 more per month on their energy bills since 2022 - with the company expected to AGAIN raise rates next year. Constituents are calling, but Assemblymember Barrett isn't listening or even trying to deliver.

Below are quotes from Hudson Valley advocates demanding Assemblymember Didi Barrett fight harder to pass the NY HEAT Act in the budget:

"Session after session, Didi Barrett has abdicated her responsibility to her district and the planet by refusing to support the NY HEAT Act, which would cap the cost of utility bills at 6% for at least a quarter of her constituents. Everyday New Yorkers have made plain that affordability is their top issue, but Barrett is choosing to ignore our needs in favor of her corporate donors-the same private utility companies that are bleeding working families dry. The chair of the Assembly Energy Committee should be a leader in making our energy system fairer and more sustainable. Barrett has refused to be that leader, but it's not too late for her to live up to her commitments. We urge Assemblymember Barrett to meet the needs of this moment and champion the NY HEAT Act now," said Brahvan Ranga, Political Director at For the Many.

"Climate scientists have issued a clarion call that we must massively fast-track climate action on all fronts if we are to avert critical tipping points in the climate system. The NY HEAT Act would do much to answer that call. Nevertheless, Assemblymember Barrett and a few other Assemblymembers tell us that they cannot support this legislation based on misinformation they have about cost concerns. We New Yorkers are tired of being told what CAN'T be done. NY HEAT in fact will lower our energy bills and stabilize energy prices. What is needed at this time of crisis is dynamic leadership to do what CAN be done - and must be done. What is needed is the political will to do it," said Michael Richardson, Co-facilitator of Third Act Upstate New York.

"Mothers Out Front Dutchess County is committed to ensuring that we leave a livable climate to our children and grandchildren. We are equally committed to ensuring that every Dutchess County family, in fact, every NYS family, has the resources they need to not just survive, but to thrive. Our utility bills are simply too high! For many New Yorkers, it is akin to paying a second mortgage or rent. Many choose between heating their homes and putting food on the table. But until we pass legislation to get our energy bills under control, utility companies will continue to force our families to pay for the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure. We can't wait any longer. We need action from Assemblymember Barrett. Mothers Out Front Dutchess County urges you to not only support, but to fight for the passage of the NY HEAT Act. Let's keep the Hudson Valley affordable, and a place where families flourish," said Sandra Stratton-Gonzalez, a member of Mothers Out Front for Dutchess County.

"Two of the biggest challenges that must be addressed in New York state are energy affordability and the climate crisis, and the NY HEAT Act does exactly that - it will be a large step forward in saving money for lower and middle class New Yorkers and for the climate fight. The NY HEAT Act empowers the Public Service Commission to steer New York citizens toward affordable zero-emission heating and cooling, which is a necessity to reach climate goals locally, nationally, and globally. It is important that we pass legislation that institutes a cap on utility bills and encourages a healthier planet for generations to come. As students at Vassar College, we at SEED believe that enacting the NY HEAT Act is a prime example of how New York state can be a leader in climate policy. Now is the time to call upon our Assembly Members to get on board with the NY HEAT Act for the betterment of our communities," said Genevieve Reoch, President of Students for Equitable Environmental Decisions (SEED) at Vassar College.

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