With New York state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) due to meet Jan. 22 on Con Edison’s requested electricity and gas rate hikes for 2026 through 2028, some county and state officials have renewed their calls for the PSC to reject any increases. The Westchester Municipal Consortium (WMC), composed of representatives from 40 municipalities, was involved in crafting a Joint Proposal that slashed the hikes originally requested by Con Edison and was to be taken up by the PSC.
Jan. 12 news conferences in New York City, White Plains and Albany featured elected officials and representatives of consumer groups again raising their voices in protest over any rate hikes for the utility. In addition, it was revealed that 112 officials representing 9 million constituents have sent a letter to the PSC demanding that it reject the rate case settlement supported by the WMC.
Con Edison’s original proposed electric rate increase of 13.4% has been reduced to 2.8% on the total customer bill under the Joint Proposal settlement. On the gas side, the original proposed 19% increase has been reduced to 2% on the total customer bill. The increases would be in effect for 2026 with new increases in the same amounts taking effect in 2027 and 2028 if the Joint Proposal is adopted by the PSC.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, “Con Edison, and their blatant cash grab, is creating an affordability crisis, and families, seniors, and small businesses across Westchester County have reached their breaking point. Utility bills have skyrocketed in recent years, sometimes doubling or even tripling, and people are being forced to make impossible choices between paying their rent, buying groceries, or keeping the lights on.”
Board of Legislators Chairman Vedat Gashi also spoke at the County Office Building in White Plains and said, “Westchester families are at a breaking point. They cannot afford another hit to their budgets when utility bills have already doubled or tripled. Today, we stand united with leaders across the state to send an unmistakable message to the Public Service Commission: reject these rate hikes and protect our residents.”
Westchester’s representatives Sen. Shelley Mayer and Sen. Pete Harckham along with Assemblymembers Chris Burdick, Dana Levenberg, and MaryJane Shimsky were featured at the news conference in Albany. They were joined by 25 state lawmakers as well as advocates representing elderly residents on fixed incomes and environmental justice communities.
“After countless hours of testimony, written comments, emails, and calls from ratepayers across our communities, Con Edison’s joint proposal once again fails to protect ratepayers and instead continues to place an unjust burden on them,” Mayer said. “Con Edison’s Joint Proposal ignores the real, lived experiences of everyday families, seniors on fixed incomes, small business owners, and communities that have repeatedly raised their voices demanding fairness and accountability.”
According to Burdick, “This is a fight about affordability for our residents, as well as small businesses that are being crushed by utility bills. According to Con Edison’s own numbers, as of November 2025, 416,598 residential customer accounts were behind on their bills by 60 days or more, totaling $889,413,409 owed by struggling customers. In November 2025, Con Ed terminated utility service to 12,642 customer accounts and issued 111,941 customer disconnection notices. The proposal going to the PSC will deepen this crisis. We urge the PSC to do the right thing, reject the proposal, and freeze rates.”
State Sen. James Skoufis, whose District 42 covers almost all of Orange County, said, said, “The PSC is an embarrassing disgrace of a regulatory body: Their evaluation process is a racket and everyone knows it. I am sick of utility shareholders getting rich off of ratepayers, and I stand in opposition of this rate hike, and in support of my colleagues and their constituents. The Public Service Commission is supposed to serve the public. If they can’t do it, it’s time they find other jobs.”
For the first three quarters of 2025, Con Edison reported revenues of $16.59 billion with net income of $1.72 billion.
