ALBANY, New York — National Grid has proposed a rate hike plan for the utility’s upstate gas and electric customers, joining other companies seeking major increases after regulators suppressed costs during the pandemic.
The utility has proposed a one-year increase on delivery of about 23 percent for residential electric customers and 29 percent for gas customers. That’s an estimated total bill increase of 15 percent, or $19 per month, for electricity and 20 percent, or $18, for gas.
National Grid’s filing on Tuesday kicks off a lengthy process with input from the state’s utility regulators, customer representatives, environmental advocates and other parties. Rate cases are a primary lever for implementing the state’s climate law — and also where some of the near-term costs of transitioning to a more electrified, lower emissions economy are showing up.
National Grid officials say the rate increase is partly driven by inflation. But capital investments to update the aging electric grid to increase reliability and accommodate more renewable energy resources, heat pumps and electric vehicles are another factor.
