New York lawmakers have passed a bill to create a state utility consumer advocate, and it’s now up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign it into law.
According to Spectrum News 1, the proposed office would represent ratepayers in state and federal utility cases. Supporters say New York is the largest state without such an advocate and argue that existing agencies are stretched too thin to fight for consumers effectively.
Hochul previously vetoed a similar bill, calling the office redundant, but lawmakers insist no agency currently fills the role at the needed scale. The governor has not yet indicated whether she’ll approve the new measure.
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