Above: Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky with families in Tarrytown
Below: Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg at Peekskill rally.
Photo by Acacia Mauriello
By Dan Murphy
On Thursday, December 12, Assemblymember Dana Levenberg and Westchester electeds, including Peekskill City Councilwoman Kathleen Talbot and Croton Village Trustee Len Simon, joined with Food & Water Watch and Mothers Out Front to rally against continued heating bill rate hikes and demand Gov. Hochul put the NY HEAT Act in her state budget, expected next month. The rally is part of a statewide week of action, with additional rallies happening today in Kingston, Albany, and the Adirondacks.
“My constituents need relief in their energy bills, plain and simple,” said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg (D-95th District). “Utility rate hikes are one of the top issues I receive phone calls about in the office. We also need to slow the rate of climate change, which is making disasters like floods and wildfires more frequent. It is long past time to turn the goal of a 6% cap on residential energy costs and an affordable transition away from fossil fuel energy into reality. That starts by passing New York HEAT during next year’s budget. There is no more time to waste. Let’s get this done in 2025!”
Food & Water Watch Hudson Valley Organizer Emily Skydel said: “Westchester is facing an affordability crisis, with costs of housing, food and energy on the rise. Governor Hochul must stand up for struggling New Yorkers by putting the NY HEAT Act in her budget to cap utility bills and stop wasting taxpayer money on dirty gas system buildout.”
As winter begins, gas utilities across the state are yet again looking to raise rates and charge everyday New Yorkers 18% more for heat. 1 in 4 New Yorkers already can’t afford energy prices — and a clear majority are desperate for policies to make life more affordable for them.
The NY HEAT Act, which would help control future gas rate hikes, save the families who need it most $136/month on average, and move New York to a 21st-century energy system, is popular across party lines. The bill has broad support across the legislature and almost passed last year before dying in the Assembly in the last days of the legislative session. As bills rise, New Yorkers are demanding Governor Hochul and Assembly lawmakers deliver for their constituents and prioritize the NY HEAT Act when they return to Albany.
Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky (92nd District) said: “The NY HEAT Act will make New York both more green and more affordable by promoting the transition to renewables, cutting State subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, and capping energy costs at six percent of household income. It is legislation that makes sense for New York and for New Yorkers, and it will have my full support as the Legislature returns to Albany in January.”
Peekskill City Councilmember Kathleen Talbot said: “Clean heat, lower energy bills and green jobs make a perfect trifecta of benefits for our residents. Kudos to our hard-working Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg for pushing this important legislation.”
Village of Croton-on-Hudson Deputy Mayor Len Simon said: “Croton-on-Hudson is grateful to Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg and her colleagues for renewing their fight for passage of the HEAT Act in 2025. This much needed measure would help all of Croton, but will have the greatest impact on those who are severely cost burdened in our community. They are the ones who mostly strongly feel the simultaneous impact of rising energy costs, increased housing prices, and the inflation at the pump, grocery store, and so many other places that erodes their monthly budgets. I look forward to helping Assemblywoman Levenberg in any way we can to ensure the timely passage of the HEAT Act.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “Every Westchester County resident deserves to have a home heating system that is safe, reliable and affordable to them. The NY HEAT Act clears a path for utility companies to invest in modern and efficient technologies rather than expanding the existing gas network, as well as ensuring affordability by capping costs for vulnerable customers. We are dealing with an energy crisis that will only get worse unless we act immediately, and I am proud to stand with my colleagues in government in support of this bill.”
Westchester Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “The goal of the NY HEAT Act is to accelerate a shift away from dangerous, expensive fossil fuels to safer, cleaner heating technologies – a change that is necessary to protect our residents, and our future. Westchester County’s homeowners cannot withstand another rate hike, and we all deserve to have heating and cooling systems that are affordable, and reliable. I want to thank my colleagues in government for their initiative in moving the NY HEAT Act forward, and I look forward to the passage of this bill.”
Westchester County Legislator Colin Smith (1st District) said: “All Westchester County residents deserve safe, reliable, affordable home heating and cooling and a livable future for our families. Every New Yorker deserves to stay warm and keep the lights on. Unfortunately, millions of New Yorkers are paying excessive amounts for energy and are behind on their utility bills, which is why I am proud to support the NY HEAT Act. This act will provide much relief by lowering bills up to $75 a month for the New Yorkers who need it most and limiting utility bills to 6% of income, ensuring no one is left behind during the transition to clean energy. The NY HEAT Act phases out fossil fuels that poison the air we breathe and creates tens of thousands of good green jobs by supporting investment in thermal energy networks, facilitating a just transition for gas utility industry workers, creating clean energy jobs that use existing skills like pipefitting, and eliminating sources of pollution that disproportionately impact lower income residents and communities of color. Thank you to Assemblywoman Levenberg for her leadership and tireless advocacy on our behalf in Albany.”
“Our utility bills are too damn high and majority Black and Brown communities like Peekskill are paying more for climate-heating pollution because of state inaction against the Oil & Gas industry”, said New York Communities for Change Senior Climate Campaigner Santosh Nandabalan. “NY Heat is long overdue and must be at the top of Governor Hochul’s to-do list to get done this budget season.”
