Highlights of National Grid's Filing:
- Critical investments to ensure the reliability and safe operation of the company's energy delivery system that serves 2.3 million upstate New York residential and business customers.
- Enhanced system resiliency and reliability measures to manage and reduce the impact of frequent and severe weather and enable continued strong storm response.
- Integrated energy planning to consider interactions between gas, electric and customer energy systems to achieve long-term climate goals in a safe and affordable way.
- Infrastructure investments to support economic development, connect clean energy, and enhance security.
- Targeted programs and dedicated teams to better serve residential, commercial and industrial customers.
- Enhanced energy affordability programs and services, and programs to enable clean energy and energy efficiency benefits for disadvantaged communities.
The company's plan includes targeted investments and programs to reduce emissions, strengthen the safe delivery of energy, connect renewable energy projects to the company's networks, and increase energy efficiency offerings and other programs to help customers reduce their energy usage. Additionally, the plan will improve the overall customer experience by increasing the number of consumer advocates to assist vulnerable customers, including in disadvantaged communities, eliminating credit card fees for residential bill payments and adopting new technologies to provide more self-service options for customers.
The company shaped the filing after conducting listening sessions with customers, communities, environmental justice advocates and other key stakeholders. The meetings were held to help ensure National Grid's proposal aligns with the goals and priorities of the customers and communities it serves, while meeting our legal and regulatory mandates.
"Prioritizing the energy needs of our customers is vital, and nothing is more important than the safe operation of our networks as we look for new ways of delivering energy for all our customers," said Phil DeCicco, New York General Counsel. "We have identified essential investments in this rate proposal, and we will ensure no customer is left behind in their access to reliable and affordable energy as we continue on the clean energy transition."
An Extended Period of Energy Price Stability
The company's efficiency initiatives and relatively low commodity costs in recent years have contributed to an extended period of energy price stability. Adjusted for inflation, total bills are lower than they were 16 years ago. As noted in the charts below, average residential electricity bills were approximately 20% lower in 2023 than they were in 2007, and natural gas bills are 40% lower over the same period.
