‘Reliable Energy New York’ gets go ahead

Iberdrola’s Avangrid subsidiaries New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) have the go ahead for their joint ‘Reliable Energy New York’ plan.

The plan, which has been approved by the New York Public Service Commission, encompasses a range of actions including $6 billion in investments to enhance reliability, resiliency and customer service and to support the meeting of the state’s climate targets.

Its approval follows a more than a year-long engagement with a trimming of the original rate requests by nearly half and will result in the average residential customer’s monthly bill increasing by approximately $10 beginning November 1, 2023.

“The forward-looking plan we have adopted benefits customers and includes provisions that further important state and Commission objectives,” commented Commission chair Rory M. Christian.

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“With [the] decision, NYSEG and RG&E are required to pursue important energy efficiency initiatives among other progressive policies, to advance the goals of New York State’s nation-leading climate change targets, while mitigating bill impacts for most low-income customers, as part of New York’s energy affordability policy.”

NYSEG and RG&E president and CEO, Trish Nilsen, said the Reliable Energy New York plan “will allow us to make critical investments in our gas and electric infrastructure to improve reliability, expand our energy efficiency offerings, execute on important pilots to test new technologies to support our green energy future, and provide additional assistance to those who need it.”

Reliable Energy New York highlights

Among highlights of the plan is a continuance of the companies’ gas safety performance mechanisms in the areas of leak management, emergency response, damage prevention, gas infrastructure reduction or replacements, and compliance with safety regulations and procedures.

In addition, at least 130km of leak prone pipe must be replaced over the next three years and the residential methane detection programme continued.

At the same time the companies will continue their commitment to achieving a net zero increase in gas use and to consider suitable non-pipes alternatives to the construction of a new or replacement of existing pipeline.

Vegetation management is another important aspect and routine trimming, danger tree mitigation and reclamation of overgrown circuits will be stepped up.

The plan also requires the companies to develop their physical and cyber security posture to match the evolving state of the New York electric grid and the challenges to security, resilience and reliability that it faces.

The plan also increases the amount devoted to low-income customer assistance and to expand the language access programmes to ease communication for the immigrant communities, as well as to provide special protections against shutoffs and terminations during extreme cold weather.

NYSEG serves approximately 894,000 electricity customers and 266,000 natural gas customers in upstate New York.

RG&E serves approximately 378,500 electricity customers and 313,000 natural gas customers in the region surrounding the City of Rochester.