This opinion piece originally appeared in Syracuse.com.

If you live in Central New York, you probably didn’t need a news story to tell you something is wrong… you knew it the moment you opened your latest utility bill. Like a lot of people, I’ve been looking at my own gas and electric bills this winter and feel the same jolt of disbelief. 

For many, these rising utility bills aren’t an inconvenience; they’re a breaking point. You can understand some of the pressures—a colder-than-average winter, higher demand, aging infrastructure—and still recognize that what families are being asked to absorb right now is unsustainable.

Most people haven’t suddenly started using more energy, yet the bill keeps climbing. That’s because much of what you’re paying for isn’t the energy itself. You’re footing delivery charges, infrastructure costs, and rate increases approved far from your kitchen table.

In New York, the Public Service Commission is supposed to protect ratepayers while ensuring reliable service. That balance matters. We need safe, resilient utilities. But when families are choosing between paying their energy bill and paying for groceries or medication, it’s clear that balance has been lost. Too often, rate increases feel like a foregone conclusion rather than a last resort, and too many decisions are made with little transparency for the people who ultimately foot the bill.

At the same time, we can’t ignore the reality that our energy grid is old, under strain and in desperate need of critical upgrades. We’re asking decades-old infrastructure to handle more demand than it was ever designed for from extreme weather to growing energy use, electrification, and new economic development. It's a large part of the reason I’m supportive of Oswego being the site for five gigawatts of nuclear energy. Doing nothing isn’t an option. But neither is asking working families to shoulder unlimited costs while utilities pass expenses straight through to customers month after month.

Harsh weather may explain part of the increase, but it doesn’t justify a system where a single cold stretch can knock a household budget completely off course. Modernizing the grid should mean fewer outages, smarter systems, and long-term savings—not just higher delivery charges showing up on monthly bills. That requires stronger oversight, tougher questions when utilities ask for rate hikes, and a willingness in Albany to slow things down and say no when increases aren’t justified.

This conversation also can’t be separated from the broader affordability crisis facing New York. Housing costs are up. Food costs are up. Insurance, childcare, and healthcare are up. When energy bills rise faster than wages, they don’t just strain household budgets, they push people out of the communities they’ve lived in for generations. That’s not sustainable, and it’s not fair.

As your state senator, I believe government has a responsibility to step in when systems stop working for the people they’re meant to serve. That means stronger legislative oversight of the Public Service Commission, more transparency in how rates are set, and real accountability when utilities propose increases that hit struggling families the hardest. It also means making sure assistance programs actually reach the people who need them, not just those with the time or resources to navigate complicated applications.

No one expects energy to be free. But New Yorkers deserve a system that’s honest, understandable, and affordable. We can invest in our energy future, protect our taxpayers, and support our dedicated workforce delivering you gas and electricity at the same time. I hear the frustration because I’m living it too—and I’ll keep fighting to make sure the voices of taxpayers are louder than the fine print in a rate case.