Good morning. It’s Wednesday. We’ll find out about state efforts to help consumers struggling with energy bills. We’ll also have details on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new street safety plan.
What will 2026 be remembered for? Ian Donaldson’s list already includes a troubling distinction: This has been a record-breaking year for households in New York State that have had utilities shut off for unpaid bills. Donaldson is a policy expert with a nonprofit advocacy group in Albany that helps low-income families navigate the financial pressures of energy costs. Con Edison, the state’s largest utility, cut power to 7,702 residential customers in July for overdue bills, about 17 percent of the total shut-offs statewide, according to figures compiled by Donaldson’s nonprofit, the Public Utility Law Project of New York, which is known by the acronym PULP. For Con Edison, the financial bite was larger than for other utilities: It had 376,806 residential accounts that were more than 60 days behind in July and was due $876.7 million. The average balance on the Con Edison accounts that were behind was $2,327, according to PULP. That was $560 more than the statewide average. Against that backdrop — and against the backdrop of worldwide anger over rising fuel prices — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced two programs in the last two days intended to provide financial help for struggling consumers. One program will provide rebate checks of up to $200. The checks, to be mailed to 8.2 million households starting next week, comes from a $1 billion item in the state budget that was passed in the spring. Separately, the state is expanding eligibility for its Energy Affordability Program, which could save some 2.5 million residents up to $500 annually on energy bills. But they must sign up for the program. How much, when and whoThe $200 checks would go to taxpayers who filed their 2024 state returns jointly and had incomes of less than $150,000. If you filed jointly and reported income of more than $150,000 and less than $300,000, you will get a check for $150. If you filed as single with income of less than $150,000, look for a $100 check. The logistics are complicated: The checks won’t be mailed all at once. They will go out in batches through December. Only full-time New York State residents are eligible, and only those who were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return. Hochul, a Democrat running for re-election, also took a swipe at “Washington Republicans” who “continue to send the cost of everything from utility bills to gas and groceries soaring.” She blamed the Trump administration’s tariffs for raising the cost of living “across the board” and “President Trump’s war in Iran” for pushing gas prices up 45 percent in the six and a half months since the United States launched the first strikes against military targets and a government compound in Tehran. Paul DeCotis, a former chairman of the New York State Energy Planning Board who is now a senior partner of the consulting firm West Monroe, said the rebates would provide “some near-term relief and some customer satisfaction.” “Obviously there’s no state and there’s no governor that can change worldwide energy prices,” he said. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in New York City on Tuesday was $4.49, according to the website AAA Gas Prices — 8.3 cents above the statewide average and almost 17 cents above the national average. A year ago, a gallon of gas cost $3.31. Con Edison said that it had $1.2 billion in unpaid bills through August. That included not only residential users, but also commercial customers with an average unpaid balance of $9,700. Con Edison also said that more than half of the total was accumulated during the pandemic, when, like other utilities in the state, it suspended shut-offs for unpaid bills. “Termination of service is a last resort, used only after repeated efforts to work with customers through payment plans and assistance programs for the most vulnerable,” a spokesman said by email. “We recognize that rising costs of living make energy affordability more important than ever,” he said, but added that “when balances go unpaid for extended periods, the costs for a safe and reliable system are ultimately borne by other customers.” Donaldson noted that there was no requirement to spend the rebate checks on utility bills — the recipient may decide whether to apply the money to groceries or day care if needed. Should the rebate checks be larger? “Definitely a tricky question,” he said. “We would say that we always hope for more, but we understand the give and take of politics.” WEATHER Today, expect mostly sunny conditions and temperatures near 80. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 69. ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING In effect until Monday (Yom Kippur). QUOTE OF THE DAY “It may have a funny name, but the Stripe Hog will help us do some serious work.” — Mike Flynn, the city’s transportation commissioner, on the Roomba-like water truck that his agency is using to blast away old street markings and make way for new bus lanes. The latest Metro news
We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Mamdani unveils a street safety plan
Speed-capping devices in some cars. Lower speed limits near hundreds more schools. Those were among the near-term goals of Vision Zero Reimagined, a set of more than 100 policy targets and objectives that Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday. The idea is to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. The set adds to the “Vision Zero” plan that Mayor Bill de Blasio campaigned on in 2013 and announced two weeks after he took office in January 2014. Vision Zero Reimagined calls for a number of new approaches. A transportation official said the city could begin installing the speed-limiting devices in the cars of frequent speeders, although the City Council must approve the plan, which could take more than a year to carry out. Vision Zero Reimagined also seeks to crack down on scofflaws who use “ghost plates” on their cars to obscure their identity, but much of that effort would require cooperation from state lawmakers. Vision Zero reduced serious crashes to near-record lows, but safety advocates have been troubled by recent accident figures. Citywide, 99 people were killed in traffic collisions in the first six months of 2026, eight more than in the same period last year, according to Transportation Alternatives, a transit advocacy group. Among them were 13 cyclists, six more than last year. City data indicates that fatalities were trending down as of mid-September. METROPOLITAN DIARY Negotiations
Dear Diary: It was 1997, and I was one of six graduate students in Columbia University’s theater producing program. One day, we shuffled into Gerald Schoenfeld’s ornate office above Shubert Alley. Schoenfeld was the chairman of the Shubert Organization, probably the most powerful man on Broadway and, somehow, our professor. He burst into the room, settled behind his desk and stared us all down. Today, he said, I’m going to teach you how to negotiate a lead actor contract. Here’s how we’re going to do it: I’m going to call Patrick Stewart on the speakerphone. You six are going to sit there, take notes and not make a sound. Got it? We nodded. He dialed. Stewart answered. For the next hour, we sat perfectly still while two legends worked through the terms of Stewart’s appearing in “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan.” Our pens moved furiously across our notebooks as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard’s voice filled the room. Not one of us made a sound. I don’t even think we breathed. — Matt Olin Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Tell us your New York story here and read more Metropolitan Diary here.
Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. Davaughnia Wilson and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@nytimes.com. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
|
N.Y. Today: State relief for electric bills
FREE MICROSOFT CERTIFIED STUDENT'S RESUME/CV BUILDER
CREATE YOUR OWN NOW 👉
Building a Successful, Professional CV/Resume
A well-crafted CV/resume is essential for making a strong impression on potential employers. Follow these key steps:
- Define Your Objective: Identify your career goals and tailor your content to showcase relevant skills.
- Choose a Format: Select a clean font (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica) at 10–12pt size.
- Write a Strong Header: Include full name, phone, email, and LinkedIn profile.
- Highlight Education & Experience: List qualifications and work history in reverse chronological order.
- Showcase Technical & Soft Skills: Highlight software proficiency, leadership, and communication abilities.
- Optimize & Proofread: Target relevant ATS keywords and eliminate spelling errors.
ADVERTISEMENT