Empowering New Yorkers with Knowledge
Utility prices are skyrocketing in New York. It's high time we take back our power. New York's investor-owned utilities are taking more than they give, and we deserve better—better prices and better reliability. The path to a better New York is through public ownership of utilities. Review the benefits below and take action by contacting your representatives to express your support for the Utility Democracy Act.
Benefits
2024 Public Power Statistical Report | American Public Power Association
Public power utilities continuously provide their community with the most affordable rates. In 34 out of 45 states where data was available, public power residential customers have the lowest electricity rates compared to other utility types based on their average revenue per kilowatt hour.
-2024 Public power Statistical Report, American Public Power Association
​
Public power utilities support strong local economies. Public power earns over $67 billion in revenue annually, with the median public power utility earning $5 million. This revenue is invested directly into the community.
-2024 Public power Statistical Report, American Public Power Association
Public power utilities consistently provide more reliable electricity to their communities than other types of utilities. Public power utilities on average resolve outages 52% quicker than other utilities and 41% quicker than other utilities on average following a major event (e.g., a hurricane).
-2024 Public power Statistical Report, American Public Power Association
Public power utilities are increasingly supplying their communities with clean energy. In 2022, approximately 40% of electricity public power generated was from non-carbon emitting sources, with 20% of electricity generated from hydropower. Outside of its owned capacity, public power purchased at least 23,000 MW of wind, solar, hydro, and other renewable sources in 2023.
-2024 Public power Statistical Report, American Public Power Association
2024 Public Power Statistical Report | American Public Power Association
Initiate the process of drawing and creating new utility territories based on principles of environmental justice, equity, and energy democracy.
Utility Democracy Act
By removing the profit motive, rates for all utility territories will go down, and new utility rates will become progressive “green” rates scaling up for increased energy usage for wealthier customers without overburdening low-income customers in energy inefficient buildings.
Eliminate incentive to build unnecessary infrastructure; incentivize maintenance and resiliency projects like undergrounding and microgrids by mandating public cost-benefit analyses of all spending proposals.
Contact Your Representatives
Legislative Office Building
198 State St, Albany
NY 12210
Find your representatives
What to say...
Tell your representatives New Yorkers deserve better. Let them know you support the Utility Democracy Act, the path toward public ownership of New York's electric utilities.