Public Power
Energy is a public good. It’s time to take our power back
We know that we will never really have an equitable, accountable, renewable energy system unless we fundamentally change the ownership structure of the electric system and make electricity a public good. This is why the Energy Democracy Alliance is also fighting for public power.
Communities experience that our current energy system leaves us poorer, sicker, and under constant threat of shut-offs. This is unacceptable, especially since electricity and heat aren’t luxuries; they are necessities. During our events and continuing outreach to the public, especially focused outreach with low-to-moderate-income (LMI) communities, we have heard the stories of people who cannot pay their bills, people whose health has suffered from breathing polluted air, people struggling to keep their homes at a livable temperature, and people mistreated and discriminated against by utility companies. As climate change accelerates, we must come together and declare energy as a human right, and that our energy system should be owned by the public and operated for the public good.
Public Power is a campaign to replace New York’s corporate-owned utilities (Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG/RG&E, Central Hudson, Orange and Rockland, Corning Gas, and PSEG) with a utility system that works for everyone. We are also committed to a democratic, renewable and accountable public utility for Long Island. The campaign works to create a publicly owned, democratized utility with a mandate to achieve safe, reliable, affordable, and 100% renewable energy service
Publicly controlled energy is the most effective way to ensure a transition to affordable, renewable power in a way that supports workers and prioritizes well-being for all individuals. Two thousand cities and towns across the U.S. already have public control of their utility grids, and other cities including Chicago and San Francisco are also currently considering public utilities. Across the board, public power is greener, safer, and cheaper. There are many reasons to consider public power
- Energy bills under public utilities are on average 14% cheaper for households
- Public power is more reliable, and outages last less than half as long as the national average
- Public utilities have a track record of reinvesting profits back into communities
Join NY Public Power Coalition
The Public Power NY Coalition is a statewide movement of community and advocacy organizations fighting for an environmentally sustainable energy system that’s also racially, socially, and economically just. We believe energy and a habitable planet are human rights, and that we need to avert the climate crisis by eliminating the use of fossil fuels and transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy. We aim to accomplish these goals by taking over our for-profit energy system and bringing it under public, not-for-profit, local, and democratic ownership and management.