New York State Public Service Commission has approved the implementation of the Energy Affordability Guarantee pilot program. The PSC’s decision provides a plan for the design and implementation of an energy affordability pilot program for low-income households who fully electrify their space and water heating through the EmPower+ program. This pilot program will provide approximately 1,000 EmPower+ program participants with tailored bill assistance to ensure they pay no more than six percent of their annual household income toward electricity costs.
To be eligible for the guarantee, the customer’s home must meet the income eligibility standard for low-income programs, which is set at annual household income equal to or lower than 60 percent of the State Median Income; and the customer must also be electrified through the EmPower+ program. The EmPower+ program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, provides no-cost and subsidized energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades for low-to-moderate-income households.
The guarantee builds off of several other policies and programs in place to address energy affordability and clean energy solutions for low-income customers. First, the PSC has a longstanding energy affordability policy established in 2016, which set a goal for low-income customers to pay no more than 6 percent of their annual household income toward energy bills. The utility energy affordability program, which is administered by the major electric and gas utilities, provides low-income customers with bill payment assistance through monthly tiered discounts. Additionally, the Statewide low- to moderate-income portfolio represents nearly $170 million of energy efficiency initiatives directed at income-eligible households to improve access to clean energy solutions on an annual basis from 2020 through 2025
“Affordability is a top priority, and we’re making much-needed investments to help low-income New Yorkers affordably electrify their homes,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “With the Energy Affordability Guarantee, we’re overcoming barriers to clean energy adoption for the most vulnerable families across the state.”
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