Albany, NY – Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha and Senator Michelle Hinchey held a press conference in Kingston today to announce the introduction of the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act (A10332 Shrestha/S9534 Hinchey), a bill that creates a publicly-owned and democratically-controlled power authority to replace Central Hudson. Instead of answering to shareholders, the new Hudson Valley Power Authority will put service first, by providing low rates, reliable service, correct and easy to understand bills, clean energy, community benefits, strong labor protections, and environmental justice.

Visit the Hudson Valley Power Authority Web site for more details about the bill.

“As long as corporate monopolies are in charge of delivering energy, we’ll never have energy justice,” said Shrestha, who was a climate organizer with a focus on energy democracy before getting elected, and a proponent of reclaiming energy as a public good, “We’ve introduced this bill because it offers a clear blueprint for an alternative and serves as a declaration of a fight we’re ready to take on. Massena, New York, declared its fight in 1974 and won in seven years. Today, it offers some of the cheapest prices for some of the cleanest energy. Ontario, Canada, declared its fight in 1899, and won in eight years. And that fight was led by the Conservative party, so it’s also worth remembering that public power has historically been a bipartisan issue. With the bill now introduced, our task ahead is to create the conditions that are necessary for us to win, and that includes dispelling misinformation that is likely to come from the utilities. Central Hudson has already incorrectly claimed that this will cost taxpayers, when in reality a public authority can issue bonds and finance itself without costing taxpayers whereas it’s investor-owned utilities that pass pretty much every cost to ratepayers. Central Hudson has also said municipalities would lose property taxes that it’s currently paying but public authorities can make payment-in-lieu-of taxes. It’s going to be a long fight but we’re ready to work hard and win.”

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Amid a nearly four-year billing debacle and decades of pervasive issues, Central Hudson's billing practices remain a top concern among our constituents. In response, we've introduced a bill to establish the Hudson Valley Power Authority, driven by the needs of local residents and the demand for fundamental change in utility management. Energy is a necessity and having reliable utility service should be a guaranteed right, not one at the whim of corporations and a few wealthy shareholders. By removing the profit motive and placing energy in public hands, we aim to provide lower rates, reliable service, accurate and straightforward bills, and a commitment to clean energy that aligns with New York’s CLCPA goals.”

Senator Hinchey also shared that in the 70s, her parents put on a play in Woodstock about all the problems with Central Hudson.

“Electricity is a basic necessity that we all depend on, and we need to have confidence that our utility will provide quality service at just and reasonable rates and can meet the challenges of the day, including climate change,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “Fortis/Central Hudson’s track record has fallen far short of providing us with that confidence, and I applaud Assembly Member Shrestha and Senator Hinchey for putting forward the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act. If there was ever a time to consider an alternative to the current model of utility service, it is now.”

Shrestha said, “One thing our office, Senator Hinchey’s office, and County Executive Mezger’s office has in common is: we have spent way too much time helping our constituents with billing issues. About half of the constituent services cases my office takes on are related to Central Hudson. Thousands of residents have come to us feeling helpless, stuck, and frustrated.”

Susan Quasha, a constituent who lives in the hamlet of Barrytown in Red Hook and has been a Central Hudson customer since 1976, spoke next. She didn’t receive a Central Hudson bill for over two years before getting a shocking $10,000 bill. She said, "I am excited about the prospect of a public electric utility that cares about people and not just profits. I want to say how supported I felt after calling Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha's office and speaking with Brittany Barnard. She helped me to contact the Public Service Commission and I finally felt heard."

Assemblymember Shrestha reiterated that the fight to win the bill would be like running a marathon and touted the organizing prowess of supportive groups like Mid-Hudson Valley DSA to organize residents in the Central Hudson territory around this issue.

“When it comes to democratizing utilities and a just transition to green energy, we in the Mid-Hudson Valley are not waiting for solutions to trickle down from Washington or the boardrooms of multinational corporations – we are taking the initiative ourselves,” said Klaus Yoder, of the Mid-Hudson Valley DSA Ecosocialism Working Group, who helped to write parts of the bill, “The Hudson Valley Power Authority represents the continuation of a local and national tradition of treating energy generation and transmission as a public resource. While taking up the New Deal’s legacy in providing affordable energy to ratepayers, the HVPA also learns from more recent international examples in public utility municipalization. Such measures incorporate both public oversight as well as specialized research to improve operation and local adaptation in public utilities. The Mid-Hudson Valley DSA is ready to hit the doors and talk to thousands of Central Hudson ratepayers to bring them into our fight.”

Speakers also talked about accountability as a key issue to address.

“We want Central Hudson to be replaced with a public authority, but we want to make sure we do it the right way,” said Shrestha, “A built-in structure for good governance and accountability is critical to a successful Hudson Valley Power Authority, which is why we propose that it’s governed by a representative Board of Trustees that is overseen by an Observatory. The Observatory model is relatively new and can be seen working successfully in the case of the Paris Water Authority, where the Observatory serves as a space for citizen oversight and information. In our bill the Observatory will help the Board achieve its goals in community participation, transparency, research, and accountability. Two members from one or more academic institutions that are partners to the Observatory will serve on the Board, and Bard College is enthusiastic about taking this role on.”

Two academic representatives spoke at the press conference. First was Stephen Pampinella, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at SUNY New Paltz, who said, “The Hudson Valley Power Authority (HVPA) Act could transform public governance of utilities. A public energy utility would relieve Hudson Valley residents of Central Hudson's poor service and mismanagement while realizing our region's commitment to sustainability. But its proposal for an Observatory that fosters public participation and transparency is especially welcome.An Observatory could ensure that Hudson Valley ratepayers, the primary stakeholder of any utility provider, are actively participating in the governance of HVPA. In this way, it could serve as a model for democratic governance of public agencies which focus on service delivery rather than maximizing profits. The Observatory itself could be housed a local public university such as SUNY New Paltz, itself a public agency with a long history of regional engagement and public policy innovation. I thank Assemblymember Shrestha for introducing this bill and look forward to its passage.”

“Bard College's Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities stands ready to fully participate in the community science pieces of this legislation,” said Dr. Eli Dueker, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology at Bard College and the Director of the Center for the Environmental Sciences and Humanities, “This effort represents a stunningly concrete example of what communities across the nation need to be doing in order to build true resilience as climate change challenges our infrastructures, water, and air quality.”

Rosemary DaCruz spoke on behalf of Communities for Local Power, which has long been involved in the fight for utility justice, and came into being to oppose the Fortis takeover of Central Hudson, "Our mission is to help municipalities in the Hudson Valley transition to a local, clean energy economy. That’s why we are beyond delighted to be supporting Assemblymember Shrestha and Senator Hinchey’s Hudson Valley Power Authority Act. We know that it will bring safe, reliable service and affordable energy bills to Hudson Valley families that desperately need a dependable utility. It's time to reject the status quo and embrace a path forward where our energy system is accountable to the people it serves, not the profits it generates."

Veekas Ashoka, co-founder, Beacon Climate Action Now, said, “BCAN has spent years fighting for a beautiful future for the Hudson Valley. Central Hudson's predatory billing practices and methane gas expansion have been major obstacles to that future, and the current system has been powerless to hold them accountable. It's time for the people to take back our power from the corporate profiteers. It's time for a Hudson Valley Power Authority."

Ashoka mentioned the group’s intention to talk about the bill with Beacon residents, whether it’s by knocking doors, tabling at the farmer’s market.

Also in attendance were Alexandria Wojcik, Deputy Mayor of the Village of New Paltz, Stana Weisburd, Village of New Paltz Trustee, and Tim Kelley, Town of Hurley councilman. About forty people were in attendance.

AM Shrestha will host an online town hall on May 30th to present the details of the bill.