NYC MAYOR URGES GOV. HOCHUL TO SIGN 100 FOOT RULE REPEAL

NEW YORK, NY (12/10/2025) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams sent a memo of support to Governor Hochul urging her to sign legislation that would end the costly "100-foot rule" (A.8888 / S.8417). The legislation was sent to the Governor's desk on Monday, meaning she has until December 19 to sign it into law and stop utilities from charging nearly $600 million more on New Yorkers' energy bills every year.

The Mayor's letter reads, "The City of New York strongly supports this bill, which would reduce energy costs for New York ratepayers and accelerate clean energy development. At a time when New Yorkers are struggling to pay their energy bills and are facing increasingly frequent public health and safety threats posed by climate change-from extreme heat, air quality, wildfires, and flooding- removing the "100-foot rule" is a critical step for ensuring a safe, affordable energy transition in New York State."

Read the full letter attached.

Already, 1 in 4 New Yorkers are struggling to afford their energy bills - while the Trump administration continues to cut clean energy and energy affordability programs that help families get by. The 100-foot rule is making this crisis worse by allowing utilities to charge New Yorkers more on their energy bills to expand an antiquated, polluting gas system that is already too expensive.

Background

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.

Even as more families struggle to afford their energy bills, utilities across the state are continuing to raise rates on New Yorkers so they can expand the gas system and bring in record profits. Repealing the 100-foot rule would remove the incentive for utilities needlessly expanding the gas system, which is preventing New York from reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and providing access to cleaner, modern energy solutions that benefit all New Yorkers.

As energy bills continue to rise across the country, other states are ending similar subsidies for gas utilities. Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Maryland have all repealed similar outdated gas mandates that cost ratepayers more money.