Rochester Lawmakers and Climate Advocates Rally For Lower Energy Bills By Repealing 100-Foot Rule!

ROCHESTER, NY (11/17/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, Assemblymember Harry Bronson joined with Rochester advocates to rally for legislation repealing the "100-foot rule." In June, Albany lawmakers voted to end the outdated subsidy, which allows utilities to expand the polluting gas system on New Yorkers' dime and cost ratepayers nearly $600 million on their energy bills every year. Governor Hochul is reportedly considering signing the bill, and now she can deliver on her promise to rein in utilities and save New Yorkers money by signing it into law.

Watch a recording of the event here.

"It's time to bring more affordability to New York's energy bills by ending the '100-Foot-Rule,' which unfairly places the burden on rate-payers when utility companies expand their lines and gas hook-ups," said Assemblymember Harry Bronson. "With energy costs set to rise again this winter, I am standing with climate advocates and my fellow lawmakers in fighting to bring an end to this practice and lower costs for our families."

"Electrifying our homes is one of the best ways to tackle both the climate and affordability crises New Yorkers face every day. Signing the 100 Foot Rule Repeal bill and ensuring that the All Electric Buildings Law is implemented on time are critical steps the Governor must take to do this," said Graham Hughes, Director of Policy & Advocacy for the Climate Solutions Accelerator.

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 stop utilities from 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. Ending this mandate would also preserve the ability for families to stay on gas if they want to - while enabling utilities to invest in cleaner, more affordable energy.

Last month, Assemblymember Bronson was one of more than 50 state lawmakers who signed a letter to Governor Hochul highlighting how repealing the 100-foot rule would help lower New Yorkers' energy bills and protect their constituents from utilities. In the letter, lawmakers wrote, "New Yorkers should not be paying millions to companies that are abusing outdated laws in order to bring in record profits." The letter followed a similar effort from over 60 local elected officials who sent their own letter to the Governor.

As energy bills continue to rise across the country, other states are taking similar action to end subsidies for gas utilities and lower energy bills for their constituents. 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.

Monroe County Legislator Sue Hughes-Smith said, "Governor Hochul promised to take action on climate and to protect everyday New Yorkers from rising energy costs, both promises can be kept if she signs the repeal of the 100ft rule. Ratepayers should not have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually to expand the gas system. Electrification of our homes and business is the safe, healthy and affordable path. I call on the Governor to keep her promises by aligning the utility law with the climate law by ending the 100 ft subsidy."

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.

Today, 1 in 4 New York households cannot afford their energy bills, according to an estimate from the Alliance for a Green Economy. 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.