Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - State Republican lawmakers are putting together a series of bills they say will make energy more affordable for New Yorkers while getting rid of mandates they say will only make things worse.
State Senator Rob Ortt and his Republican colleagues introduced “Affordable Energy, Not Albany Mandates,” which is part of the Senate Republican Conference’s broader 2026 legislative agenda entitled “Save New York,” which he calls a plan to improve affordability, enhance public safety, and build a stronger New York for today and future generations.
“Just last week a newspaper article highlighted how more than 400,000 customers have had their gas or power cut because they can’t afford to pay their bills - numbers that are much higher than during the great recession. This is completely unacceptable, and a direct result of Albany Democrats’ out-of-touch Green New Scam policies. The New York State legislature must start acting on behalf of all of our constituents, instead of passing feel-good policies that do nothing to save the planet and only serve to please radical environmentalists, while making the rest of the state suffer,” says Ortt.
Ortt says among the goals of the legislative package are to provide immediate ratepayer relief, increase cost transparency, and repeal costly mandates:
Immediate Ratepayer Relief
S8461A (O'Mara) - Requires any surplus or unspent ratepayer funds remaining in NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Fund or any unspent funds collected by utilities be sent back to ratepayers as a bill credit. This bill would result in lowering New Yorkers utility bills by $2 billion at a time when New Yorkers are facing skyrocketing utility bills.
S8463 (Rolison) - Provides a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday and two-year green energy tax holiday. Government taxes and fees account for between 25 to 50% of a customer’s utility bill. This bill would provide meaningful and immediate relief to ratepayers as they face skyrocketing energy costs.
S7075 (Walczyk) - Repeals the system benefit charge. The system benefit charge is a fee imposed on all ratepayers that provides money to NYSERDA and the PSC. Repealing such fees would lower utility bills.
Cost Transparency
S1031 (Rolison) - Directs the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Comptroller to determine the cost of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) mandates for each ratepayer and to establish a credit for ratepayers and businesses to cover those costs.
S1414 (Tedisco) - Enacts the Utility Ratepayer Protection Act, which requires legislative approval of increases in utility charges.
S5515 (Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick) - Relates to providing transparency to residential utility and municipality ratepayers on the cost impact of the climate action council's scoping plan.
S5611 (Mattera) - Establishes the Climate Action Cost Council, which must meet quarterly and report on any CLCPA cost associated with any action taken by the Council.
S6412 (O’Mara) - Establishes the “Ratepayer Disclosure and Transparency Act,” which requires annual reporting on state mandated energy programs.
S6790 (Griffo) - Requires the superintendent of financial services to examine the Green Bank at least once every calendar year.
S8447 (Walczyk) -Requires a fiscal note when a bill enacts or amends a law impacting the cost of utility services.
S8936 (Rolison) - Increases transparency and accountability in utility billing by requiring all electric utility corporations, energy services companies, and municipalities to provide customers with a clear, itemized breakdown of their monthly bills.