NYSEG and RG&E are promoting new investments in grid automation and reliability just weeks before customers across Upstate New York begin paying temporary rate increases tied to the utilities’ ongoing push to modernize the electric system.
The utilities announced Tuesday that they have expanded the use of automated grid technology, smart meters, and remote monitoring systems across their service territories, describing the upgrades as critical to improving reliability and preparing for growing energy demand.
The announcement lands amid continued scrutiny over whether the companies are only now making infrastructure investments critics say should have happened years ago. Reliability concerns, storm-related outages, and billing controversies have fueled frustration among customers and elected officials across the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier.
The debate intensified last week after the state Public Service Commission voted to delay final action on NYSEG and RG&E’s broader rate case for another six months while still allowing temporary rate increases to take effect June 1.
The utilities first filed the proposal in July 2025 as part of what they called the “Powering New York Plan,” a long-term effort focused on rebuilding and expanding New York’s aging power grid. Regulators were originally expected to decide within a year whether the requested increases were justified.
Instead, the PSC cited the complexity of the case and the volume of public input — including more than 26,000 written comments and testimony from multiple hearings — as reasons for extending the review process.
Under the temporary rates, residential customers are expected to see total bill increases of roughly 0.2% for NYSEG electric service and 1.7% for NYSEG gas service beginning next month.
Congressman Josh Riley sharply criticized the PSC’s decision, arguing regulators are allowing the utilities to continue collecting more money without first proving the need for the increases.
“You’re either on the side of hardworking upstate New Yorkers, or you’re on the side of Iberdrola and NYSEG,” Riley said following the decision. He also accused regulators of “kicking the can down the road” instead of rejecting the proposal outright.
NYSEG defended the investments in a statement, saying sustained infrastructure spending is necessary to improve reliability and support future economic growth while balancing affordability concerns.
According to the companies, more than 340 SCADA-controlled devices were installed last year, with automation enhancements added to hundreds of existing grid devices. Officials say the technology allows operators to identify outages faster, reroute power remotely, and reduce restoration times during emergencies.
NYSEG and RG&E also pointed to the rollout of more than 1.75 million smart meters and expanded drone inspections of transmission infrastructure as part of the modernization effort.
The utilities are subsidiaries of Avangrid, which is owned by international energy giant Iberdrola.
Customers are expected to begin seeing the temporary increases reflected in bills arriving later in June, while the broader rate case remains unresolved through at least the end of the year.
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