Emergency Financial Relief
NY-ADR
7/1/20 N.Y. St. Reg. PSC-26-20-00006-EP
NEW YORK STATE REGISTER
VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 26
July 01, 2020
RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
EMERGENCY/PROPOSED RULE MAKING
NO HEARING(S) SCHEDULED
I.D No. PSC-26-20-00006-EP
Filing Date. Jun. 11, 2020
Effective Date. Jun. 11, 2020
Emergency Financial Relief
PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following action:
Proposed Action:
The Commission adopted an order on June 11, 2020, approving temporary emergency summer bill relief for electric customers enrolled in the low-income bill discount program offered by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.
Statutory authority:
Public Service Law, sections 5(1) and 65(1)
Finding of necessity for emergency rule:
Preservation of public health, public safety and general welfare.
Specific reasons underlying the finding of necessity:
The City of New York seeks Commission approval for short-term emergency financial relief for all electric customers enrolled in the low-income bill discount program offered by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. over the four-month summer period based on its concern that the combination of coronavirus prevention measures and the high summer temperatures could potentially exacerbate heat-related illnesses and fatalities among low-income customers. The emergency relief is intended to offset the electricity cost of operating air conditioning during periods of high temperatures this summer. Absent immediate Commission action, the low-income bill discount program customers would not receive the emergency financial relief during the summer months and, therefore, may not have the financial means to operate air conditioning during periods of high temperatures. In order to protect the health, safety and general welfare of this vulnerable population, this action cannot wait for the 60-day comment period to expire.
Subject:
Emergency financial relief.
Purpose:
To protect the health, safety and general welfare of low-income customers during the summer months.
Substance of emergency/proposed rule:
The Public Service Commission is considering a petition (Petition) filed on May 11, 2020, by the City of New York (City) requesting temporary emergency ratepayer-funded financial relief for electric customers who are enrolled in the low-income bill discount program offered by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Edison). The Petition seeks to provide these customers with a $40 monthly bill credit to offset the electricity expense charged for operating air conditioning during the summer months of June through September due to the anticipated limited availability of public facilities as a result of the ongoing social distancing measures implemented in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. When applied to the current electric low-income bill discount program population of 441,138 customers, the City’s proposed monthly bill credit of $40 would amount to a total cost of approximately $70.5 million over the four-month period. The City recommends that the Commission allow Con Edison to defer the costs incurred to provide the requested bill relief until the economy has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This emergency relief measure is necessary, according to the City, to protect the health, safety and general welfare of low-income customers, a population that the Petition notes has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and has historically been disproportionately impacted by high temperature days. Additionally, the City asserts that the emergency relief would remove any financial obstacles that may prevent the low-income customers from using air conditioners and, therefore, would make it easier for these customers to stay in their private homes and avoid public areas where they would be most at risk of being exposed by COVID-19.
The full record of the proceeding may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service web page: www.dps.ny.gov. The Commission may adopt, reject or modify, in whole or in part, the action proposed and may resolve related matters.
This notice is intended:
to serve as both a notice of emergency adoption and a notice of proposed rule making. The emergency rule will expire September 8, 2020.
Text of rule may be obtained from:
John Pitucci, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, (518) 486-2655, email: [email protected]
Data, views or arguments may be submitted to:
Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Department of Public Service, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, (518) 474-6530, email: [email protected]
Public comment will be received until:
60 days after publication of this notice.
Regulatory Impact Statement, Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, Rural Area Flexibility Analysis and Job Impact Statement
Statements and analyses are not submitted with this notice because the amended rule is within the definition contained in section 102(2)(a)(ii) of the State Administrative Procedure Act.
(20-M-0231EP1)
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