ALBANY, New York — The state Public Service Commission ordered utilities to take steps to ensure families losing federal benefits due to the government shutdown won’t be kicked off a state energy assistance program.
The utility regulator on Thursday ordered electric and gas companies to limit their reliance on federal programs to determine eligibility for the state’s Energy Affordability Program. This ensures delays in federal winter heating assistance for low-income ratepayers won’t also prevent those families from getting help with their bills from the state-level program.
Why it matters: With temperatures dropping and the federal bureaucracy creaking back into motion after the longest shutdown in history, policymakers are concerned about low-income families being unable to pay their heating bills.
“Our action today is a direct result of the harms caused by the federal government shutdown and also the ensuing disruption of funds to critical public services,” said PSC Chair Rory Christian at Thursday’s commission meeting. “Reliable and affordable heat is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
