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Con Edison announced that they are seeking the rate increase “to fund infrastructure and other investments that would give customers more convenient access to clean, energy-saving products; enhance safety and reliability; and make it easier for customers to get information about their usage and service.”
The proposal seeks an additional $485 million to run the company’s electric delivery system in 2020 and $210 million for the natural gas delivery system. It is now under a public rate review by the New York State Public Service Commission.
The bill for a Westchester County residential customer using 450 kilowatt hours would increase $6.10 to $114.04, an increase of 5.7 percent (8.5 percent for delivery). For a typical commercial customer using 10,800 kilowatt hours with a peak demand of 30 kilowatts, the monthly bill would increase $80.96 to $1,970.67, an increase of 4.3 percent (8 percent on delivery).
Improvements to electric service would include building infrastructure for electric cars, “continuing a reliance on non-wire solutions,” and improving its storm preparedness and resiliency in Westchester.
“Our proposal will build on the progress we have made in putting tools in the hands of our customers to help them manage their energy usage,” Con Edison President Tim Cawley stated. “We’re making it easier for them to take advantage of energy efficiency, charge electric vehicles and communicate with us. We’re also improving our response to severe weather events and taking steps to protect the environment.
“Our gas main replacement and inspection programs are making New Yorkers safer. We’re also providing residential and business customers with gas leak detectors that alert our control centers. This is a first-of-its-kind technology that we think is a game changer in natural gas safety.”
According to Con Ed, while the rate filing proposes one-year rate plans for electric and gas service, the company plans to discuss multi-year rate plans with PSC staff and other parties. A multi-year plan would result in lower annual increases and provide more cost certainty for the company’s 3.4 million electric and 1.1 million gas customers.
Last month, Con Ed issued an announcement stating that the demand for new gas has surpassed its limits in the Southern Westchester area, prompting them to stop accepting new customers in Westchester beginning in March.
“The demand for natural gas in our service area has been experiencing significant growth primarily due to the construction of new buildings, the opening of new businesses, and conversions from oil to cleaner-burning natural gas in existing buildings,” they posted on their website. “But all of this new demand for gas is reaching the limits of the current supplies to our service area.”
The New York Public Service Commission will host public meetings in Westchester to discuss Con Edison’s announced gas moratorium that will begin in March.
PSC Commission chairman John Rhodes announced this week that there will be public hearings at an undisclosed Westchester location beginning on Monday, Feb. 11. A report from the Commission is expected to be completed and made public no later than July 1. Rhodes said that his staff will analyze short-term and long-term market conditions, along with the capacity of natural gas infrastructure and alternatives, and their role in aiding the transition to a clean energy economy.
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