Westchester Advocates Call on Albany Lawmakers to End Outrageous ConEd Gas Expansion, Pass NY HEAT!

PEEKSKILL, NY (03/17/2023) (readMedia)-- On Friday March 17, elected officials and community members will gather to call on the Governor and the Public Service Commission to deny ConEd's whopping 20% rate hike for gas customers. A significant portion of this is for expanding and maintaining the fracked gas distribution system including $11 million earmarked to double the size of the Cortlandt "Gate Station" on the controversial Enbridge/"Algonquin" fracked gas pipeline. This controversial pipeline is already wreaking havoc on the local community – a 30 foot deep sinkhole opened over the pipeline in December. ConEd is moving forward with this project despite community opposition even before the rate hike has been approved.

Advocates will urge Governor Hochul and the Assembly to include the NY Home Energy Affordable Transition (HEAT) bill (S.2016 Krueger/A.4592 Fahy) and prioritize a managed, equitable transition off of fossil fuel heating to efficient all-electric heating in their final budgets. Central to this bill is amending the antiquated Public Service Law that keeps everyday New Yorkers on the hook for outdated gas infrastructure projects like the Gate Station, while enriching ConEd's shareholders. This bill will provide New Yorkers with the affordability and health benefits of all-electric buildings - a damning new report released from the Building Decarbonization Coalition shows that costs for those who stay on the gas system could rise by the tens of thousands per household without this crucial legislation. The state Senate already included NY HEAT in their one house budget proposal, and advocates are calling on the Assembly and the Governor to include this language in the final budget. Over 100 groups and organizations across New York State have signed memos of support in favor of this legislation.

The NY HEAT Act (formerly the Gas Transition and Affordable Energy Act) ensures that New York State will be able to meet the crucial climate justice and greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act for buildings, without sticking everyday New Yorkers with the bill for misguided expansion of the gas system.

**This event will be livestreamed**