NYS Senate Moves One Step Closer to Passing NY HEAT Act, As Attention Turns To Assembly To Finish The Job

ALBANY, NY (05/30/2025) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, the New York State Senate Rules Committee voted to advance the NY HEAT Act, bringing the bill one step closer to passing before the end of this year's legislative session. In response, Liz Moran, New York Policy Advocate with Earthjustice, issued the following statement:

"Yesterday's vote to advance the NY HEAT Act is more confirmation that the Senate is committed to delivering real relief for struggling New Yorkers. The NY HEAT Act is the only policy before Albany lawmakers to put an end to out-of-control utility rate hikes while standing up to the Trump administration gutting energy affordability and climate programs. We're confident that the Senate will pass the NY HEAT Act again, and we urge the Assembly to finish the job by passing the bill."

Background

As of September 2024, approximately 1 in 7 households in New York was two months or more behind on their energy bills. This crisis is impacting more than 1.2 million families, who are collectively in debt more than $1.3 billion dollars to utilities. According to a recent report from AGREE, since 2022, every major gas utility in New York State has raised the cost of energy for their customers:

• For Con Edison customers, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased by nearly $50 since 2022 - from $205 to $253.
• For National Grid customers in NYC, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased by more than $60 between 2023 and 2026 - from $110 to $172. For National Grid customers in Long Island, the average monthly cost of gas heating will increase by nearly the same amount - from $105 to $165.
• For Central Hudson customers, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased more than $20 since 2022- from $138 to $157.
• For National Fuel Gas customers, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased by nearly $15 - from $81 to $94 - since just 2023.

The Home Energy Affordable Transition Act, also known as the NY HEAT Act, gets at the heart of what is causing these ballooning energy rate hikes - archaic state laws that force New Yorkers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars each year to subsidize new fracked gas hookups and pipelines. Changing these laws will avert billions in anticipated costs. Additionally, NY HEAT would limit households' energy burdens by allowing utilities to provide cheaper and clean heating alternatives at no additional cost to customers – a win-win for New Yorkers and the environment.

The NY HEAT Act will free New Yorkers from the gas mandate (also known as "the utility obligation to serve gas"), which locks utilities, and consequently the vast majority of New Yorkers, into the dirty, expensive, aging gas system for heat, which is the primary driver of massive rate hikes. Because of the gas mandate, one home that wants to stay on the gas system can be the deciding factor for an entire neighborhood that would otherwise have the opportunity to receive cheaper, cleaner heating alternatives from their utility. The NY HEAT Act would require utilities to provide easy access to the most affordable and healthier heating options for their families, which would enable hundreds in annual savings for households.

According to a Siena Poll, New Yorkers agree by an overwhelming 58% to 26% that the legislature should pass the NY HEAT Act. Support for the NY HEAT Act is popular across party lines, with 67% of Democrats, 47% of Republicans, and 55% of independents agreeing it should pass. The bill is also popular with 60% of upstate voters, 55% of union households, and across income groups. 74% of Black voters and 70% of Latino voters also support the legislation. An even larger share, 51 - 17%, said that lawmakers did not do enough to improve the quality of life during last year's legislative session.

State action against climate change is crucial as Trump takes office and vows to go all-in on fossil fuels. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and New Yorkers experienced wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes. The NY HEAT Act will help New York fight climate change and it will protect New Yorkers from an unpredictable Trump administration by helping to stabilize heat and energy prices.