New York A 5620: Relates to the establishment of reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to low-income customers

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A05620 Summary:

BILL NOA05620 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S01552

&nbsp

SPONSORLucas

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §65, add §66-x, Pub Serv L

&nbsp

Relates to the establishment of reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to low-income customers.

Go to top A05620 Actions:

BILL NOA05620 

&nbsp

02/18/2025referred to energy

01/07/2026referred to energy

Go to topA05620 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA05620 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA05620 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 5620

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 18, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. LUCAS -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Energy

 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the establishment
 of reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to
 low-income customers

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 65 of the public service law is amended by adding a
 2 new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
 3 17. Reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to
 4 low-income customers. (a) Electric and gas corporations shall establish
 5 and continue reduced rate schedules for low-income electric and natural
 6 gas customers. The average effective rate reduction shall not be less
 7 than twenty-five percent or more than thirty-five percent of the reven-
 8 ues that would have been produced for the same billed usage by other
 9 residential customers receiving full service from the utility who are
 10 not eligible for the reduced rate.
 11 (b) Reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service
 12 shall be established for any customer who receives benefits from the
 13 supplemental security income program for the aged or disabled or other
 14 persons, the temporary assistance to needy families program, safety net
 15 assistance, the supplemental nutrition assistance program, medical
 16 assistance, the home energy assistance program, the telephone lifeline
 17 assistance program, and any other additional assistance program or
 18 income standard approved by the commission.
 19 (c) Providers of electric and natural gas service shall cooperate with
 20 the commission and social services districts and other agencies to
 21 certify and recertify customer eligibility through privacy protected
 22 data exchanges approved by the commission to achieve efficient enroll-
 23 ment of eligible customers.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04551-01-5

 A. 5620 2

 1 (d) Providers of electric and natural gas service shall strive to
 2 provide reduced residential rates to all customers eligible for them,
 3 and shall provide application forms for reduced rates to eligible low-
 4 income customers on their websites, at their offices, and by other
 5 means. Information regarding the availability and eligibility standards
 6 for reduced rates shall be provided to residential customers at the time
 7 of service initiation, in bill inserts, in communications to customers
 8 in arrears, and by other means required or approved by the commission.
 9 (e) The incremental revenue effects of enhancement to low-income rate
 10 programs under this section shall be deferred for subsequent rate making
 11 treatment and approval by the commission. The revenue impact of such
 12 rate reduction shall be mitigated by (i) applying any earnings of the
 13 utility above the allowed return on equity set in the most recent rate
 14 case, (ii) disallowing any premium above the rate of return allowed for
 15 not filing a rate case or for sharing of overearnings, (iii) utilizing
 16 any uncommitted funds available from current surcharges allowed by the
 17 commission and not expressly authorized by statute, (iv) disallowing
 18 recovery from ratepayers of any costs of executive compensation bonuses.
 19 After such mitigation measures, and other mitigation measures which the
 20 commission may approve, any shift of revenue responsibility to other
 21 customers due to the revenue effects of low-income rates shall not be
 22 b