Welcome,
The Legislative commission on the future of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) was established in 2022 to develop and present to the legislature an action plan for implementing a true public power model for residents of Long Island and the Rockaways. This means LIPA would directly provide electric service to the more than three million residents and thousands of businesses in its service area without contracting out that responsibility to an investor-owned, for-profit utility.
The goal is to avoid the tens of millions of dollars in annual management fees paid to an outside utility; establish greater transparency and clearer lines of accountability for the safe, reliable, and affordable delivery of electricity to ratepayers; and give LIPA's customers a greater say in how this essential service is provided.
The commission is charged with conducting public hearings, forming and collaborating with an advisory committee of resident stakeholders, and ultimately reporting to the legislature on the specific actions, legislation, and timeline necessary to restructure LIPA into a true publicly owned power authority.
The commission is bipartisan and representative of LIPA's service area, comprising four senators and four assembly members chosen by the legislature's majority and minority leaders, representing parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, and the Rockaways in Queens, and co-chaired by a member of the senate and the assembly.
We encourage residents and others with a stake in Long Island and the Rockaways to follow our work and share your suggestions and ideas for how best to achieve our goals, through our hearings or by leaving a comment on our website.
Thank you,
Senator Kevin Thomas
Assembly Member Fred Thiele