Lawmakers Urge Gov. to Repeal 100-Foot Rule As RG&E, NYSEG Propose HUGE Rate Hikes Up to $800/Year

ITHACA, NY (10/02/2025) (readMedia)-- On Tuesday, the Public Service Commission held a public hearing to consider proposed rate hikes from the New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E). If approved, these rate hikes would dramatically raise energy bills for New Yorkers again: NYSEG customers would see both their gas and electric bills increase by an average of $33 every month - meaning the average NYSEG customer would be forced to pay nearly $800 more every year on their energy bills! RG&E customers would be forced to pay $18.87 more on their gas bills and $33.01 on their electric bills every month, or more than $620 on their energy bills every year!

The proposed rate hikes come as Avangrid, the parent company of NYSEG and RG&E, saw a staggering 185% increase in profits since 2015, and has raised rates every year since 2023.

In response, Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Anna Kelles issued the following statement urging Governor Hochul to sign the only legislation on her desk to help New Yorkers struggling to afford their energy bills and stop utilities from inflating their profits on our dime:

"Our constituents are already struggling to pay energy bills they cannot afford, but Avangrid has no problem pushing ridiculous rate hikes that would make it impossible for working families to get by. Governor Hochul needs to take action and repeal the 100-foot rule - the only legislation on her desk to save New Yorkers money on their energy bills, and a critical first step to curbing these rate hikes. We urge the Governor to deliver for New Yorkers in need and hold utilities accountable by signing this bill into law immediately."

Background

Avangrid's latest request to raise rates for NYSEG and RG&E customers comes as millions of households are already struggling to afford their energy bills. 1 in 4 New York households already cannot afford their energy bills, and according to an estimate from the Alliance for a Green Economy, 1.2 million families are two or months behind on their energy bills. At the same time, the Trump administration has cut LIHEAP, a crucial energy assistance program which New York relies on more than any other state, and suspended the federal Weatherization Assistance Program - both of which help fill the gaps and reduce energy costs for low-income households.

As the cost of building and maintaining our aging gas infrastructure continues to rise, utilities across the state have raised rates to pass those costs onto customers and keep us hooked on a fracked gas system that is already unaffordable. Since 2022, every major New York gas utility has raised costs on consumers, causing more than 1.2 million families to fall behind on their energy bills.

Repealing the outdated "100-foot rule" would end the outdated requirement that forces working class families to pay more on their energy bills to expand fracked gas pipelines and inflate corporate utility profits. 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.

As energy bills continue to rise across the country, other states are considering ending similar subsidies for gas utilities. Last month, Massachusetts state regulators issued an order to end their own version of the 100-foot rule, joining California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Maryland as the first states to repeal outdated gas mandates that cost ratepayers more money.