Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C–Medford) joined Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square), Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (SD-62) and Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman at a press conference today to call for immediate action to lower energy costs for New Yorkers.

Legislators said the problem is clear: Families and small businesses are paying more to heat their homes, keep the lights on and operate day to day. With New York energy rates running more than 70% higher than the national average, he said Albany can no longer ignore the burden being placed on ratepayers.

DeStefano points to state energy policies, mandates and surcharges as major reasons costs continue to rise. New York has moved too quickly toward costly energy mandates without providing enough reliable replacement power or protecting residents from the financial impact. Recent concerns outlined in a NYSERDA memo and ongoing grid reliability warnings have only reinforced the need for a more balanced approach.

“This is not just about one bill or one bad month,” DeStefano said. “It is about a pattern of policies that make energy more expensive, make our grid less predictable and leave working families with fewer choices. Long Island residents are already dealing with some of the highest costs in the country. They need relief, not more mandates that make their lives harder.”

DeStefano said the solution begins with using available state resources to provide direct relief and rolling back policies that are making energy less affordable. Minority lawmakers have proposed several cost-cutting measures, including rebate checks of up to $400 for eligible residents, returning surplus clean energy funds to customers through utility bill credits, expanding the POWER UP grant program to support reliable energy development and pausing mandates such as the natural gas ban and zero-emission school bus requirement.

“We need a real plan for affordability, reliability and common sense,” DeStefano said. “That means returning money to ratepayers, protecting consumer choice, investing in reliable power and stopping policies that drive up costs before families have any realistic way to absorb them.”