Higher rates proposed for electricity, gas
Bills for a typical Central Hudson residential customer would increase by $16 per month for electricity and $208 annually for gas if the state Public Service Commission approves new delivery rates recommended by two administrative judges.
A filing by Central Hudson on May 21 estimated the impact on customer bills from the judges’ decision. They recommended that the utility be allowed to raise an additional $75.4 million in delivery revenues for electricity and $29.6 million for gas, below the company’s initial request of $139.5 and $41.5 million, respectively.
Central Hudson’s request is for one-year increases spanning July 1 to June 30, 2025. The estimates are based on a customer using 660 kilowatt-hours of electricity monthly and 780 Ccf (hundred cubic feet) of gas annually.
Central Hudson has said that the additional revenue is essential to replace aging transmission and gas lines, connect solar and wind projects to its system and add personnel and equipment to restore power after outages caused by extreme storms, which have become more frequent.
But the judges’ decision noted that the “general sentiment” expressed at public hearings “was that Central Hudson is not providing basic service and should not be rewarded for its poor performance.” The utility is being investigated over billing problems that began in 2021.
