State, local officials, activists keep push for cap on utility bills

Several local leaders and activists also voiced their concerns with the current state of utilities in the area, including Kevin O’Connor; chief executive officer of RUPCO; Jasmine Graham, executive director of Mid-Hudson Energy Transition; Daniel Atonna, political coordinator at For The Many; Suzanne Biggan of Mothers Out Front; and Brianna Rodriguez, a senior at SUNY New Paltz and member of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

The goals outlined in the HEAT Act hit close to home to several local activists who spoke at the rally, including Graham. “So many families here… are struggling to pay unaffordable energy bills and are often forced to make really impossible choices between meeting their energy costs or meeting other basic needs,” she said. “Asking these families to bear the additional costs of climate solutions without addressing their energy burdens is unsustainable.”