Issues: Electricity

News From New York StateSenator Shirley L. HuntleyFor Immediate Release: October 28, 2011Contact: Antonio Rodriguez | arodrigu@nysenate.gov | (518) 455-3531

**PRESS RELEASE**

Senator Shirley L. Huntley Reminds Residents of Energy Assistance Program as Cold Weather Closes In

Senator Martins Stresses the Need to Work with Local Governments in the Future

The Senate Standing Commitee on Investigations and Government Operations, chaired by Senator Carl Marcellino, held a hearing on LIPA’s response to the Irene and the efforts to restore power to communities that lost power during the storm.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched an $8 million appliance grant program for those who sustained property damage as a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The program will help New Yorkers cover the costs of replacing vital household appliances, such as refrigerators, boilers washing machines and furnaces, damaged by the recent flooding. Grants will be a fixed amount for different appliances and could cover up to 100 percent of the costs of a purchase. If the cost of the appliance exceeds the cap, the program will pay a portion of the total costs up to the cap.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law this week an omnibus energy package that encourages new investments in electric generating facilities across New York and creates the nation's first statewide "on-bill" recovery program to increase energy efficiency for homeowners and businesses.

Senator Montgomery is a sponsor of the new Power NY Act of 2011 that will create thousands of jobs and set New York on a course of reliable, cleaner energy while strengthening environmental protections.

Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I,-Pulaski), Ken Blankenbush (R,C,-Black River), Bob Oaks (R,C,-Macedon) and State Senator Patty Ritchie (R,C, - Heuvelton) urged Constellation and its Union leadership to return to the negotiating table.

“I think we all would like to see resolution to the situation so that people get back to work. The only way this can happen is by bringing the parties back to the bargaining table and work on a compromise,” said Assemblyman Barclay. “I have expressed this both to Constellation and to Union Leadership during talks this week. It is my hope that this meeting will take place soon.”

The lifetime achievements of Brooklyn native Dorothy Burnham were recognized and lauded by NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn) during the reading of a Senate resolution, which was unanimously passed by the full Senate during the final days of the 2011 Legislative Session. The resolution paid tribute to Dorothy Burnham’s many notable contributions to our public education system, the advancement of civil rights, and to the promotion of racial and economic equality. Ms. Burnham was also honored for her designation as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the New York Friends of the People's World. “Dorothy Burnham is a Renaissance Woman,” said Senator Montgomery.