Jacobson proposes banning utility hikes
Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, on Monday (March 10) introduced legislation that would prohibit utilities such as Central Hudson from raising rates to cover any tariffs imposed by the U.S. or Canada on gas and electricity.
In response to a Trump administration threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods and services coming from Canada, the province of Ontario threatened to levy a 25 percent tariff on electricity exported to New York and other states.
At the same time, Central Hudson has asked the Public Service Commission for permission to delay a hearing on its most recent rate hike request until at least Sept. 30, according to the PSC.
In August 2024, electric delivery rates rose by 7.85 percent and gas rates by 9.19 percent. That same month, Central Hudson asked the PSC for approval to raise rates by an additional 5.3 percent and gas by 5.9 percent beginning in July 2025.
