Lawmakers Again Blast Con Ed's Rate Hike Request

Assemblymember Michael Gianaris at microphone with City Councilmember Eric Gioia at press conference regarding Con Ed rate hike.

Local lawmakers last week submitted formal opposition to the Public Service Commission, charging Con Ed's pending rate increase request is the largest such request in history.

"Con Edison gives new meaning to the word 'chutzpah'," Assemblymember Michael Gianaris said. "For a monopoly like Con Ed to seek an historic rate hike, after repeatedly lying to the public and badly mismanaging its operations is the ultimate in hubris.

"While Con Ed reaps profits in the hundreds of millions of dollars, it is failing to deliver reliable electric service to its customers."

Gianaris (D- Astoria) added: "No rate hike should be approved until reforms are implemented to force competition and greater oversight."

He urged the PSC to reject Con Ed's rate hikes until the utility's business practices are reformed.

In his letter to the PSC, Gianaris complained that Con Ed was seeking approval to raise residential rates by more than 36 percent on average.

City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. (D- Astoria) stated: "Nobody at Con Edison has been punished or held accountable for the gross negligence that crippled our neighborhood [in July 2006]. For this monopoly to seek this reward, paid for by the very same people who were made to suffer, is the height of arrogance."

In a similar vein, Councilmember Eric Gioia (D- Long Island City) said, "Blackouts, exploding steam pipes and electrified grates- Con Edison has done absolutely nothing to justify a rate hike. We're already paying top dollar for bottom-of-thebarrel service."

Con Ed officials have said they need the rate hike to rebuild parts of the utility's overworked network and to pay dividends to investors.

- John Toscano