Utilities Prepared to Meet Consumer Demand for Electricity and Na...
ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced that it expects the state’s utilities will have adequate supplies of natural gas and electricity on hand to meet the demands of residential and commercial customers in New York State.
Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said, “Every year, the Commission takes a close look at how the utilities are preparing to meet New Yorkers’ winter heating and energy demands. While consumer costs are expected to remain stable or be slightly lower than last year, the Commission and Department staff will continue to monitor the situation and take action if needs arise."
The gas utilities serving New York State have adequate natural gas supply, delivery capacity, and storage inventory to satisfy current firm customer demands under severe winter design conditions for this winter. Staff cautioned that there is limited capacity in the Capital Region and downstate but that is not expected to impact the ability to meet customer demands over the heating season. Gas companies are also auditing systems, processes and procedures to ensure that retail access marketers have the needed capacity for the winter months and natural gas to reliably supply customers, especially during periods of cold winter weather.
Department staff expects that full-service residential electric commodity bills will be similar to last winter’s, on a statewide average. Based on current data indicating lower forecasted commodity prices, coupled with a normal weather forecast and increased delivery rates for several gas utilities for this winter, customers’ gas bills are expected to be lower than last year’s, on average. Customers may see varying price levels based on their service territory, actual experienced weather, and individual usage.
The Commission also urges eligible New Yorkers to heed Governor Hochul's call to enroll the State Energy Affordability Program (EAP) to receive a monthly discount on their utility bill that can total up to hundreds of dollars a year.
New York State’s Energy Affordability Program offers monthly discounts to make typical electric and natural gas utility bills less than six percent of household income. New Yorkers should check eligibility guidelines and apply online via ny.gov/EAP. Some households will be automatically enrolled based on their participation in other programs, such as the Home Energy Assistance Program or the Public Assistance (i.e., Temporary Assistance), which are administered by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).
Customer Outreach: The Department has a proactive program in place to help customers receive the information and assistance they need. The outreach and education efforts include publications in multiple languages about billing and payment options, financial assistance programs and winter preparedness measures to help with winter bills, and the steps to take if customers are faced with heating-related energy emergencies.
Natural Gas and Electric Market Price Forecast: On a statewide average, a residential electric customer using 600 kWh per month is expected to pay about $74 per month for market-priced supply this winter, up 4.6 percent from the same period a year ago, but the actual amount varies by utility. Meanwhile, the average residential customer using 140 therms of natural gas can expect to pay an estimated $241 per month for market-priced natural gas during the winter heating season (November through March), down 3.2 percent from the same period a year ago, but the actual amount will vary widely by region due to the weather and usage. A colder-than-normal winter will cause usage and bills to increase. While market prices are not regulated by the Public Service Commission, the state’s investor-owned utilities are required to take steps to reduce the volatility of electric and gas supply prices to their full-service residential customers.
Home Heating Assistance: Department outreach efforts will provide consumers with information on available resources, ways to mitigate energy costs, measures to reduce energy consumption, bill management options, and financial assistance programs. The Department is also working with the state’s electric and gas utilities to ensure they maintain strong communication with customers about the utilities’ winter preparedness efforts.
Winter-Heating Preparedness: Department staff continues to track weather impacts, pipeline and storage assets, and interruptible customer compliance, and will also work with the utilities and communities to find innovative solutions that increase environmental benefits, while meeting customer expectations for their energy demands. This work includes the aggressive pursuit of efficiency measures, demand response and other solutions to meet growing space and water heating needs.
Electric-System Preparedness: Electric utilities continue to effectively reduce the electric supply price volatility of their full-service residential customers. On average, the electric utilities have hedged approximately 70 percent of their estimated statewide full service electric residential energy needs to protect against unexpected electric market price swings that could occur this winter. As part of the winter assessment, Department staff contacted the major electric-generating facilities in New York City and Long Island to determine if they are continuing to implement safeguards to address the risk factors and preventative measures identified from the 2013/2014 winter season.
Today’s report, when available, may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 26-M-0316 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.
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