Central Hudson Seeks New Rate Hike

Average monthly bill would rise $9 a month

Delivery costs for electricity and gas supplied by Central Hudson would each rise by $9 a month next year under proposed rates that would follow increases approved last month by the state Public Service Commission.

In a filing with the PSC on Thursday (Aug. 1), Central Hudson requested approval to raise delivery prices by 4.6 percent for electricity and 5.8 percent for gas. The higher rates would take effect on July 1 and hike the average bill for residential customers another $9.19 for electricity and $8.74 for gas.

Central Hudson would reap an additional $62 million annually, which the company said it will spend to replace aging power lines and upgrade other electricity and gas infrastructure. The utility also said it would increase the capacity of its system by 449 megawatts (enough to power 75,000 homes) to accommodate solar systems, electric-vehicle chargers and heat pumps, and hire 24 employees to protect its infrastructure from cyberattacks.

The company’s proposal would follow increases the PSC approved on July 18, for the rate year ending June 30, that raised the average monthly bill by $12.65 for electricity and $12.25 for gas.

The increases approved last month were reduced from Central Hudson’s original request, which would have resulted in an average monthly increase of $30 for its customers, which include 6,800 households and businesses in Beacon and 5,200 in Cold Spring, Nelsonville, Philipstown and Kent.

Even the higher rates being charged now are “insufficient to sustain its financial integrity” while upgrading infrastructure, the company said in its latest filing.

State Sen. Rob Rolison, a Republican whose district includes Beacon and Philipstown, and Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, both criticized Central Hudson’s latest request. Jacobson called the proposal “outrageous” and predicted it would lead to “reform legislation” from the state Legislature. “This new increase request shows once again that Central Hudson is out of touch with its customers,” he said in a statement.