The Future of the Long Island Power Authority

Fred
January 19, 2023
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Dr. Michelle
January 6, 2023
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Laura
December 20, 2022
I am a resident of Cedarhurst, NY and I am a LIPA ratepayer. I am writing to support a transition to a fully public utility. I want to see LIPA led by the people who are most impacted by decisions concerning our energy system: ratepayers, union workers, municipalities, community organizations, low-income households, and environmental justice communities. Those who use, pay for, and work for the system must have a say in how it runs. In order to do that, many things must happen: We need to establish an accountable and representative multi-stakeholder Board that includes, in part, the direct election of members from ratepayers residing within equally apportioned districts within LIPA’s service area. This is to ensure a democratic and autonomous public electric utility system. The Board must be multi-stakeholder in terms of both constituencies and expertise. LIPA’s mission should be expanded to include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers. This would codify LIPA’s commitment to a new paradigm of energy management in its service area. We can learn from the range of mechanisms for public engagement used by publicly owned utilities across the U.S. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has citizen review boards that allow ratepayers to be actively involved in giving feedback on specific policy proposals and/or rate increases. Seattle’s public utility has a public advisory council that advises on rates and strategic plans. Austin Energy sponsors a regional science festival to invite diverse youth to learn about the energy sector. And one of the most impressive recent examples of engagement occurred in Los Angeles, where the Department of Water and Power, as a part of developing its plan to transition to renewables by 2035, did a two-year-long engagement process that had an advisory group dedicated to environmental justice. The existing Community Advisory Board at LIPA needs to be reimagined so that communities are centered in decision-making over the energy system and that sustained public participation is a function of the utility. LIPA has struggled to engage the public across the many different Towns, Villages, and Cities of Long Island and in the Rockaways, fostering disengagement and distrust while perpetuating inequities and vulnerabilities. We must look at the above models for guidance. Every self-directed public utility needs an independent partner institution to monitor and advise the utility, engage ratepayers, conduct independent research, and support communities in their own efforts for resilience and energy justice. Under a restructured LIPA, there must be clear mechanisms and programs created to ensure community decision-making for energy planning, with proper technical assistance provided. LIPA also has the right and ability to fund, build, own, and operate its own renewable energy systems via bond issuances, which should be explored as a part of the democratic buildout of public renewables. A restructured LIPA must spend more of its revenues for the benefit of our communities. Rather than continue the decades-long habit of investing in expensive management fees for private corporations, which diverts funds from public use, LIPA can double down on its commitment to invest in Long Island and the Rockaways. LIPA has stated “Eliminating management fees and affiliate expenses saves approx. $100 million annually.” This is a savings of nearly $1 billion over the next decade by opting for operating and maintaining the grid itself. Instead of providing bonuses to unaccountable management and dividends to distant stockholders LIPA should lower utility rates, especially for low-income households, seniors, and small businesses; reinvest revenues to enhance resiliency; improve identification of and service to customers with special needs such as individuals requiring electricity for medical equipment; sewage treatment plants, and other services that would otherwise create environmental disasters; support community solar, thermal energy networks, and more wide ranging conservation programs; and seek out public-public partnerships that improve service delivery and community resilience. A more equitable rate structure is really vital, and a restructured LIPA must do more to uphold NY's goal of tackling energy burden by ensuring ratepayers don’t spend more than 6% of their monthly income on their energy bills. We should also explore the recent decision by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to end power shutoffs for low-income customers who can’t pay. Some things should stay the same, however, unless stated otherwise by the workers. There should be no change to the jobs, salaries, or benefits for the 2,500 ServCo employees. LIPA made, and kept, the same promise when it transitioned from National Grid to PSEG Long Island management in 2014. This dedicated workforce is integral to LIPA’s success under any management structure. In the transition we must maintain IBEW Local 1049 workers under ServCo and not transition workers to a public sector union. This commission was set up to steer Long Island and the Rockaways back on course to the electric utility we need. I urge this commission to stay strong on this path and incorporate the above suggestions to truly reimagine LIPA. These are the reforms needed to build a truly accountable, democratic, renewable and affordable energy system. Thank you, Laura Maffei Cedarhurst, NY

Billii
December 16, 2022
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Leonard
December 16, 2022
Good and a public sys Day. I attended the hearing at the YMCA in Rockaway yesterday. I concur with the voices of advocacy for cheaper rates and a public system. My condominium Waters Edge At Arverne, is located between Arverne By The Sea and Arverne Apartments which has all of their utility line buried as opposed to the overhead wiring that my condominium has. My condominium would be interested in a pilot program where our over head wiring could be buried and connected for a more resilient and sustainable grid. Thank you for allowing me to express my thoughts and I look forward to a more sustainable and resilient power grid.

Allison
December 15, 2022
My name is Allison, a resident of Rockaway Beach, and a Long Island Power Authority ratepayer. I am here to say that I support the work of this Commission. We must end the fundamentally flawed model of our utility and transition to a fully public model. This Commission is the opportunity to reimagine, reinvent, and restructure LIPA so that it is led by those most impacted by decisions concerning our energy system: ratepayers, union workers, municipalities, community organizations, low-income households, and environmental justice communities. We must ensure that those who use, pay for, and work for the system have a say in how it runs. In order to do that, many things must happen. We need to establish an accountable and representative multi-stakeholder Board that includes, in part, the direct election of members from ratepayers residing within equally apportioned districts within LIPA’s service area. This is to ensure a democratic and autonomous public electric utility system. The Board must be multi-stakeholder in terms of both constituencies and expertise. LIPA’s mission should be expanded to include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers. This would codify LIPA’s commitment to a new paradigm of energy management in its service area. Across the US, publicly owned utilities employ a range of mechanisms for public engagement, which we can learn from. Some such as the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) have citizen review boards that allow ratepayers to be actively involved in giving feedback on specific policy proposals and/or rate increases. SMUD also has a business advisory board with a focus on racial justice. Seattle’s public utility has a public advisory council that advises on rates and strategic plans. Austin Energy sponsors a regional science festival to invite diverse youth to learn about the energy sector. And one of the most impressive recent examples of engagement occurred in Los Angeles where the Department of Water and Power, as a part of developing its plan to transition to renewables by 2035, did a two-year-long engagement process that had an advisory group dedicated to environmental justice. With this in mind, the existing Community Advisory Board at LIPA needs to be completely reimagined so that communities are centered in decision-making over the energy system and that sustained public participation is a function of the utility. LIPA has struggled to engage the public across the many different Towns, Villages, and Cities of Long Island and in the Rockaways, fostering disengagement and distrust while perpetuating inequities and vulnerabilities. We must look at the above models for guidance and take strong heed from a particularly innovative model undertaken with the Paris Water Utility, which works with an independent Paris Water Observatory. LIPA should work with a fully funded independent Energy Observatory to replace the Department of Public Service Long Island. This is a body, independent from both the utility and the government, that would coordinate the needs of the utility with the needs of the community. Partnered with universities and community-based organizations, it would be a place to meaningfully involve communities within the LIPA service territory and has the potential to empower ratepayers, enhance social justice, and improve the quality of decisions. The Department of Public Service Long Island is incapable of doing this. Every self-directed public utility needs an independent partner institution to monitor and advise the utility, engage ratepayers, conduct independent research, and support communities in their own efforts for resilience and energy justice. Under a restructured LIPA, there must be clear mechanisms and programs created to ensure community decision-making for energy planning, with proper technical assistance provided. LIPA also has the right and ability to fund, build, own, and operate its own renewable energy systems via bond issuances, which should be explored as a part of the democratic buildout of public renewables. A restructured LIPA must spend more of its revenues for the benefit of our communities. Rather than continue the decades-long habit of investing in expensive management fees for private corporations, which diverts funds from public use, LIPA can double down on its commitment to invest in Long Island and the Rockaways. LIPA has stated “Eliminating management fees and affiliate expenses saves approx. $100 million annually.” This is a savings of nearly $1 billion over the next decade by opting for operating and maintaining the grid itself. Instead of providing bonuses to unaccountable management and dividends to distant stockholders LIPA should lower utility rates, especially for low-income households, seniors, and small businesses; reinvest revenues to enhance resiliency; improve identification of and service to customers with special needs such as individuals requiring electricity for medical equipment, sewage treatment plants, and other services that would otherwise create environmental disasters; support community solar, thermal energy networks, and more wide ranging conservation programs; and seek out public-public partnerships that improve service delivery and community resilience. A more equitable rate structure is really vital and a restructured LIPA must do more to uphold NYs goal of tackling energy burden by ensuring ratepayers don’t spend more than 6% of their monthly income on their energy bills. We should also explore the recent decision by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to end power shutoffs for low-income customers who can’t pay. Some things should stay the same, however, unless stated otherwise by the workers. There should be no change to the jobs, salaries, or benefits for the 2,500 ServCo employees. LIPA made, and kept, the same promise when it transitioned from National Grid to PSEG Long Island management in 2014. This dedicated workforce is integral to LIPA’s success under any management structure. In the transition we must maintain IBEW Local 1049 workers under ServCo and not transition workers to a public sector union. This commission was set up to steer Long Island and the Rockaways back on course to the electric utility we need. I urge this commission to stay strong on this path and incorporate the above suggestions to truly reimagine LIPA. These are the reforms needed to build a truly accountable, democratic, renewable and affordable energy system. Keep the Commission process and outcomes accountable The Commission must stick to the timeline established by the legislation that created it. These public hearings are behind schedule and there must be no more delays. LIPA must reclaim its accountability, control, and responsibility for all aspects of its electric grid and thus act as a self-governing public corporation accountable to the public. This includes ownership and control of the electric grid and all its assets, revenues, and financial instruments, as well as operation, management, and policymaking for the electric grid for the public good. We must have a competent Executive Board and staff that operate and maintain all parts of the electric grid. Make LIPA more democratic We need to establish an accountable and representative multi-stakeholder Board that includes, in part, the direct election of members from ratepayers residing within equally apportioned districts within LIPA’s service area. This is to ensure a democratic and autonomous public electric utility system. The Board must be multi-stakeholder in terms of both constituencies and expertise. It should be composed of traditional members skilled in management, policy, law, science, engineering, technology, and cybersecurity. It should also consist of workers, customers, and community-based organizations, as well as experts in justice, resilience, and engagement. Most or all board members should be elected by the public. LIPA’s mission should be expanded to include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers. Radically improve community engagement & oversight At the very least, LIPA should be working with an empowered community advisory board with its own budget, composed of diverse local community members, municipalities, community-based organizations, labor unions, and businesses. There must be clear mechanisms and programs created to ensure community decision-making for energy planning, with proper technical assistance provided. Ideally LIPA would work with a fully funded independent Energy Observatory in order to: Engage the public to provide input on the utility’s performance and services, comment at board meetings and hearings, and review budgets; Observe and offer input on LIPA policies, procedures, programs, and actions; Contract with local schools and universities to conduct relevant, independent research to deal with the changing climate and equitably integrating renewable and performance-enhancing technologies in homes, schools, businesses, and municipalities in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the Rockaways; Enable diverse ratepayers to make proposals to address their needs and desires for more affordable, renewable and resilient programs (e.g. community-owned solar and thermal energy networks, energy conservation retrofits, school bus vehicle-to-grid networks) We must replace the Department of Public Service with this independent Energy Observatory. This is a body, independent from both the utility and the government, that coordinates the needs of the utility with the needs of the community. Partnered with universities and community-based organizations, it is a place to meaningfully involve communities within the LIPA service territory and has the potential to empower ratepayers, enhance social justice, and improve the quality of decisions. The Department of Public Service-Long Island is incapable of doing this. Every self-directed public utility needs an independent partner institution to monitor and advise the utility, engage ratepayers, conduct independent research, and support communities in their own efforts for resilience and energy justice. Keep the workforce the same Unless wanted by the workers, there must be no change to jobs, salaries, or benefits for the 2,500 ServCo employees. LIPA made, and kept, the same promise when it transitioned from National Grid to PSEG Long Island management in 2014. This dedicated workforce is integral to LIPA’s success under any management structure. Maintain IBEW Local 1049 workers under ServCo. Do not transition workers to a public sector union. Spend revenues for the benefit of our communities Rather than continue the decades-long habit of investing in expensive management fees for private corporations, which diverts funds from public use, LIPA can double down on its commitment to invest in Long Island and the Rockaways. LIPA has stated “Eliminating management fees and affiliate expenses saves approx. $100 million annually.” This is a savings of nearly $1 billion over the next decade by opting for operating and maintaining the grid itself. So instead of providing bonuses to unaccountable management and dividends to distant stockholders LIPA can: Lower utility rates, especially for low-income households, seniors, and small businesses Reinvest revenues to enhance resiliency (e.g., bury lines to reduce future outages) Improve identification of and service to customers with special needs such as individuals requiring electricity for medical equipment (e.g. respirators, refrigerators), sewage treatment plants, and other services that would otherwise create environmental disasters Support community solar, thermal energy networks, and more wide ranging conservation programs Seek out public-public partnerships that improve service delivery and community resilience (e.g., partnering with public bus systems to reduce emissions, improve air quality and reliability through electrification like NYPA is doing upstate and at JFK airport) Public power is the way to go Publicly-owned utilities and co-ops nationwide fare as well or better than private sector utilities in the measures customers care about most: customer satisfaction and reliability. They also tend to be leaders in clean energy. Across the country, 2,000 public power utilities serve almost 15% of Americans, offering 13% cheaper rates and 46% shorter outage times than private utilities. In the face of worsening storms, Winter Park, Florida voted to municipalize in 2003. They’ve since expanded solar generation and vastly improved grid reliability, while keeping rates below their state’s average. Municipal utilities can be remarkably innovative: In 1996, Chattanooga’s Electric Power Board began investing in fiber optics, laying the groundwork for a world-class smart grid that has reduced power outages by 60% and saved the city close to $60 million annually. LIPA’s own Adoptions Analysis supports this path: “Eliminating management fees and affiliate expenses saves approx. $100 million annually. Municipal Management is financially feasible and an attractive alternative to the single-source service provider model. This savings can be used for storm hardening, investing in clean energy production, and lowering rates.” Thank you for your time and consideration

Kelly
December 13, 2022
Given the need to rapidly respond to climate change and to transition away from reliance on fossil fuels, I am in favor of the public option for LIPA. Private companies are required to return value to their stockholders, who are not necessarily the customers LIPA serves. In public control, LIPA can shift from the priority of stockholders to the broader public need to lower costs while accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels to power residents and businesses on Long Island.

Jenna
December 13, 2022
My name is Jenna Tipaldo, a born & raised resident of Rockaway, and my family is a Long Island Power Authority ratepayer. I am a PhD student and researcher in environmental health with a focus on climate impacts. I am here to say that I support the work of this Commission. There is a great opportunity with this restructuring of LIPA to address several critical societal issues at once - the mission of LIPA should be reformed to include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers. Revenues must be reinvested to lower utility rates, especially for low-income households, seniors, and small businesses, making sure that New Yorkers are not spending more than 6% of their income on energy bills. There is increasing evidence that 'energy insecurity,' the inability of lower income people to have stable energy due to a lack of affordability, has health consequences. A 2016 publication in the scientific journal Social Science & Medicine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5114037/) provides a review of how energy insecurity impacts the health and wellbeing of low income people. Author Diana Hernández of Columbia University's school of public health notes and cites literature that demonstrates how barriers to energy security disproportionately impacts people of color, especially Black/African Americans in the U.S, and how "the “heat or eat” dilemma demonstrates the trade-offs that low-income householders make in order to meet the basic necessities of life whereby at-risk groups are forced to decide between food and energy, often sacrificing one for the other." The study itself involved interviews with heads of household that revealed that an inability to afford energy costs was related to exposures to heat and cold, chronic stress and mental health impacts, as well as parental stigma and family disruption. The Commission should explore the recent decision by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to end power shutoffs for low-income customers who can’t pay that could reduce some of these impacts on already vulnerable members of society. In addition to helping lower customer bills, revenues should also be invested to improve the resiliency of the grid through investments in the physical infrastructure as well as in renewable energy sources such as community solar. As we face the impacts of climate change including storms and extreme temperatures, a resilient grid will be needed to serve the needs of the population, such as A/C in a heatwave and critical medical equipment, and to prevent power outages. Furthermore, workers must be protected in this transition. Unless wanted by the workers, there must be no change to jobs, salaries, or benefits for the 2,500 ServCo employees. LIPA made, and kept, the same promise when it transitioned from National Grid to PSEG Long Island management in 2014. This dedicated workforce is integral to LIPA’s success under any management structure. Regarding management structure, there is evidence that publicly-owned utilities and co-ops nationwide fare as well or better than private sector utilities in the measures customers care about most: customer satisfaction and reliability. They also tend to be leaders in clean energy and offer lower rates and shorter outage times. Thank you for your time and attention regarding this important matter.

Martin
December 8, 2022
I urge that the future of energy on Long Island strongly take into consideration not simply the cost,safety and reliability of our energy system,but crucially the long term impact of overdependence on fossil fuels.That requires in my view,a massive investment in conservation to cut unnecessary demand.I believe this can best be accomplished by a citizen controlled public power authority,not a private profit seeking utility. Martin Melkonian Adjunct Associate Professor,Economics,Hofstra University

Fred
December 5, 2022
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David
November 30, 2022
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Edna
November 30, 2022
,As the Executive Chair of the Brookhaven Town NAACP Economic Development Committee, resident of Suffolk county, and a Long Island Power Authority ratepayer. I am here to support the work of this Commission. We must end the fundamentally flawed model of our utility and transition to a fully public model. This Commission is the opportunity to reimagine, reinvent, and restructure LIPA so that it is led by those most impacted by decisions concerning our energy system: ratepayers, union workers, municipalities, community organizations, low-income households, and environmental justice communities. We must ensure that those who use, pay for, and work for the system have a say in how it runs. In order to do that, many things must happen. We need to establish an accountable and representative multi-stakeholder Board that includes, in part, the direct election of members from ratepayers residing within equally apportioned districts within LIPA’s service area. This is to ensure a democratic and autonomous public electric utility system. The Board must be multi-stakeholder in terms of both constituencies and expertise. LIPA’s mission should be expanded to include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers. This would codify LIPA’s commitment to a new paradigm of energy management in its service area. The existing Community Advisory Board at LIPA must be overhauled. The utility has struggled to engage the public across the many different Towns, Villages, and Cities of Long Island and in the Rockaways, fostering disengagement and distrust while perpetuating inequities and vulnerabilities. At the very least, a restructured LIPA should be working with an empowered Community Advisory Board with its own budget, composed of diverse local community members, municipalities, community-based organizations, labor unions, and businesses. Ideally LIPA would work with a fully funded independent Energy Observatory to replace the Department of Public Service Long Island. This is a body, independent from both the utility and the government, that would coordinate the needs of the utility with the needs of the community. Partnered with universities and community-based organizations, it would be a place to meaningfully involve communities within the LIPA service territory and has the potential to empower ratepayers, enhance social justice, and improve the quality of decisions. The Department of Public Service Long Island is incapable of doing this. Every self-directed public utility needs an independent partner institution to monitor and advise the utility, engage ratepayers, conduct independent research, and support communities in their own efforts for resilience and energy justice. Under a restructured LIPA, there must be clear mechanisms and programs created to ensure community decision-making for energy planning, with proper technical assistance provided. LIPA also has the right and ability to fund, build, own, and operate its own renewable energy systems via bond issuances, which should be explored as a part of the democratic buildout of public renewables. A restructured LIPA must spend more of its revenues for the benefit of our communities. Rather than continue the decades-long habit of investing in expensive management fees for private corporations, which diverts funds from public use, LIPA can double down on its commitment to invest in Long Island and the Rockaways. LIPA has stated “Eliminating management fees and affiliate expenses saves approx. $100 million annually.” This is a savings of nearly $1 billion over the next decade by opting for operating and maintaining the grid itself. Instead of providing bonuses to unaccountable management and dividends to distant stockholders LIPA should lower utility rates, especially for low-income households, seniors, and small businesses; reinvest revenues to enhance resiliency; improve identification of and service to customers with special needs such as individuals requiring electricity for medical equipment, sewage treatment plants, and other services that would otherwise create environmental disasters; support community solar, thermal energy networks, and more wide ranging conservation programs; and seek out public-public partnerships that improve service delivery and community resilience. A more equitable rate structure is really vital and a restructured LIPA must do more to uphold NYs goal of tackling energy burden by ensuring ratepayers don’t spend more than 6% of their monthly income on their energy bills. We should also explore the recent decision by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to end power shut offs for low-income customers who can’t pay. Some things should stay the same, however, unless stated otherwise by the workers. There should be no change to the jobs, salaries, or benefits for the 2,500 ServCo employees. LIPA made, and kept, the same promise when it transitioned from National Grid to PSEG Long Island management in 2014. This dedicated workforce is integral to LIPA’s success under any management structure. In the transition we must maintain IBEW Local 1049 workers under ServCo and not transition workers to a public sector union. This commission was set up to steer Long Island and the Rockaways back on course to the electric utility we need. I urge this commission to stay strong on this path and incorporate the above suggestions to truly reimagine LIPA. These are the reforms needed to build a truly accountable, democratic, renewable and affordable energy system. Best Regards, Edna White, Executive of Economic DEvelopment Committee with Brookhaven Town NAACP Phone: 631-295-8631

Erin
November 29, 2022
Hello I am reaching out because I unfortunately missed the sign up period to speak during this evening's virtual hearing. To start I believe it's extremely important you stick to the commission timeline! This is already going to be an extremely lengthy process but while it moves slowly, our rates are still high & people's power is being shut off because they cannot pay. As a 3rd generation Long Islander I have seen from my own experiences, and heard from family members who live here - Long Island is increasingly an inaccessible place to live. Nassau/Suffolk County have some of the highest rates in the country and they NEED to go down. Without a change - more young people will continue to leave the island. And without a young population who want to build a life here, what is the island becoming? I believe it's extremely important Long Islanders have public ownership and control of the electric grid and all its assets, revenues, and financial instruments. And the mission of LIPA must include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers - these things are needed because they are values Long Islanders believe in (particularly as we are increasingly seeing the impacts of climate change from late summer storms - which are impacts those most vulnerable on our island). With more people control rates can go down and equally important revenues can be reinvested into upgrading the system. This is vital to improving the quality of service Long Island receives for our electricity. Finally - Long Islanders need a change in this vital utility to attempt to maintain a young population here. Without us, what will the island become?

Barbara J
November 29, 2022
We must modify the mission of LIPA to include climate justice, energy democracy, equity, and greater participation by its customers As a Rockaway resident and Sandy Survivor, these issues are critical and warrant consideration: We must establish an independent Energy Observatory to replace the Albany-controlled Department of Public Service Long Island. We need it to be independent of both the utility and the government; to monitor LIPA; to coordinate the needs of the utility with the needs of the community; and to engage and supports communities. Publicly-owned utilities nationwide fare as well or better than private sector utilities for customer satisfaction and reliability Going fully public is cheaper! Eliminating management fees and affiliate expenses saves approximately $100 million annually. Thank you, Barbara J. Kelly LMSW

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