News

News From Governor Hochul

Governor Hochul Announces Opening of Application Portal for Hemp Farmers Seeking a License to Grow Adult-Use Cannabis

• First Licensing Opportunity for New York Adult-Use Cannabis Industry Advances Governor’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative 
• Positions New York Farmers as First to Grow Adult-Use Cannabis in New York

Governor Hochul Announces Launch of New Online Wage and Employment Tools as Part of Continued Commitment to Transparency

• New Interactive Dashboards on Department of Labor Website Simplify Search for Employment and Wage Data
• Provides Industry-Specific Employment and Wage Data for Nearly 800 Job Titles Across New York State
• Part of Department of Labor Agency-Wide Transparency Plan

Governor Hochul Announces New Efforts to Support the Hospitality Industry with a More Efficient State Liquor Authority

• Governor Highlights Importance of Permanent To-Go Drinks and Other Budget Proposals to Modernize State Liquor Regulations, Support Small Businesses, and Bring Back Hospitality Industry
• SLA Upgrades Include More Staff, Less Time to Get Businesses Up & Running
• Directs SLA to Work with Stakeholders and Review Existing Rules and Regulations to Get Back to the ABCs of the ABC Law

Governor Hochul Announces Nearly 1,200 Acres Added to Three State Parks in the Hudson Highlands

• Acquisitions Will Add Buffers and Protect Natural Habitat Near Hudson Valley Parkland
• Properties Will Enhance Access and Trail Network for Popular Hudson Highlands, Schunnemunk and Fahnestock State Park

Upcoming Events

New: NYSBDC presents Finding and negotiating the best space for your Small Business

• On March 29, 2022, Mark Cardone will be joining us to give us his insider take on how businesses can secure your permanent location
• Small business owners know that finding the right location for their business can be tricky. In this live webinar, presenter Mark Cardone taps his experience in commercial real estate to break the process down to 10 easy-to-follow steps to help you choose the best possible location for your business AND negotiate a deal to better ensure your long term success
• Tue, Mar 29, 2022 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
• Register here

Global NY Webinar Series

Doing Business in China E-Commerce Webinar

• China is the world’s largest e-commerce market, consisting of almost 50% of global transactions and more than 710 million digital buyers. China’s online retail transactions are forecasted to reach $3.56 trillion by 2024.
• Instead of establishing a presence in China, New York State (NYS) firms can choose to sell their products through a cross-border e-commerce platform, such as Tmall Global, which has over 29,000 international brands from 87 different countries. It can also be challenging to determine the potential appeal of your product to Chinese consumers when entering a new market with limited brand awareness and product exposure.
• Tuesday March 29, 2022, 9:00 – 10:00am
• Register here

FuzeHub Manufacturing Forum: Clean Energy & Sustainability

• Opportunities & Resources for Manufacturers
• April 20th, 2022, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Hilton Garden Inn, Troy, NY
• Attendee Registration
• Exhibitor Registration

Reminder: Attention New York State Artists, Cultural Workers, and Creatives

• Please join Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) and New York State Council on the Arts’ NYSCA PRESENTS for an online information session to learn more about CRNY’s three-year $125M investment in the financial stability of New York State artists and the organizations that employ them.
• March 17, 2022 from 12PM to 1PM: Click here to register
• The Guidelines for CRNY’s Guaranteed Income for Artists and Artist Employment Program are now live on the Creatives Rebuild New York website.  

Economic Development Opportunity Highlights

Reminder: The Round XI Consolidated Funding Application for ESD Grant funds remains open. Apply before 4:00pm sharp on April 15th here

New: Governor Hochul Announces $25 Million Available to Create Over 1,500 Healthy, Affordable, Energy-Efficient Homes

• Second Phase of Clean Energy Initiative Advances Governor Hochul’s Target of Two Million Electrified or Electrification-Ready Homes by 2030
• Traducción al español

NYSEG and RG&E Announce Grants Available to Business Customers Impacted by COVID-19

• New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) today announced funding available for business customers through the companies’ COVID-19 Economic Relief Program.
• Eligible businesses with costs related to COVID-19 after March 15, 2020 can apply for up to $50,000 in grant assistance.
• The assistance is designed to retain businesses and jobs during these difficult times by promoting the economic recovery of New York businesses that incurred costs due to the pandemic.
• Large business customers can apply for up to $50,000 of assistance and small business customers can apply for up to $15,000 of assistance. Applicants must meet specific billing criteria available on the websites: lookupstateny.com/covidrelief/NYSEG and lookupstateny.com/covidrelief/RG&E
• Businesses with questions about the program or about their company’s eligibility can call 855.846.2982 or email NYSEGRGECovidRelief@icf.com for more information.

On Thursday, the New York State Senate Mid-Hudson Valley delegation, including Senators Elijah-Reichlin-Melnick (D-38), James Skoufis (D39), Pete Harckham (D-40) and Michelle Hinchey (D-46), and the Public Utility Law Project of New York (“PULP”), held a free virtual information session to educate residents about their utility rights. This is of particular importance during the statewide “bill surges” coming in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, where nearly 1.3 million New York households – or about one in five New Yorkers – are sixty days or more behind on their energy bills, and owe more than $1.7 billion in arrears. 

The presentation and audience questions focused upon the ongoing Central Hudson Gas and Electric and Orange and Rockland Utilities’ “bill surges,” which have doubled or tripled ratepayers’ bills and made already unaffordable energy even worse for low- and fixed-income consumers. The bill surges’ effects are worsened by Central Hudson’s recent failed billing system upgrade, which has hampered the utility’s ability to provide accurate and timely billing information to its ratepayers for many months. For some Orange and Rockland customers, the price spike follows a double-digit increase granted to Suez Water Company in July of 2020, after New York’s economy had cratered due to COVID-19. 

Consumers should alert their utility company if they are struggling to make a payment, particularly if their financial distress is caused by COVID-19, and ask the representative to note the account as such. We strongly encourage that consumers also apply for Home Energy Assistance Program (“HEAP”) and Emergency HEAP, the Regular Arrears Supplement (“RAS”), and the Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program (“ERAP”), which are available to help pay arrears and work on getting current with utility bills. Consumers should apply for the RAS program with haste, as applications will no longer be accepted following March 15.  

Consumers can also discuss setting up a deferred payment arrangement with the utility company, which will protect the account and consumer’s credit while allowing them to pay the past due amount over time. Finally, a customer can call PULP’s hotline at 877-669-2572 or send an email to info@utilityproject.org for further assistance.

A full recording of this utility rights forum is available at Skoufis.NYSenate.gov. 

New York State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick (D-38) said, “knowledge is power. In this moment of skyrocketing energy costs, a critical part of the solution is ensuring that people have the information needed to take advantage of the help that is currently available. We must do more. This forum was one step toward getting people the tools they need.”

New York State Senator James Skoufis (D-39) said, “being able to share PULP’s extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of ratepayer rights and resources was critical during this time of incredible uncertainty. As global energy prices continue to rise, we must do everything we can to keep constituents informed and prepared for all the economy may throw at them. My team remains available for any constituent looking for assistance with disputing a utility bill or connecting with the many assistance programs PULP discussed, and I encourage local residents to reach out to my office at 845-567-1270.” 

New York State Senator Pete Harckham (D-40) said, “The recent utility rate increases, and the lack of transparency around them, were outrageous. Consumers reeling from the economic impacts of Covid, and historically high gas prices, were sucker punched. The impacts were especially egregious to seniors and others on fixed incomes. Utilities must provide advance notice for commodity price increases, and at a minimum, provide payment options for consumers to spread out the payment of drastic increases.”

New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D-46) said, “it’s unconscionable that, in the middle of winter and amid rising inflation, utility companies would effectively price gouge their customers with absolutely no warning. But that’s what’s happening today. I want to thank the experts at PULP, Senator Skoufis, and my colleagues in state government for their partnership to deliver this incredibly important forum to help residents navigate this utility nightmare, understand their rights as customers, and identify the resources that can help them pay their bills. We will continue our work to hold big utility companies accountable for the outrageous billing spikes placed upon their customers. In the meantime, I encourage all New Yorkers to call their representatives for help disputing bills or getting in contact with their provider — we are here to be your advocates.”

“It is absolutely vital that consumers know their utility rights during COVID-19, but particularly now too as unbudgeted energy increases tear a hole in people’s finances. We’re always happy to work with our partners in the State Legislature to support their work of providing critical services and assistance for their constituents,” concluded PULP Executive Director Richard Berkley. 

The Public Utility Law Project of New York, Inc. (“PULP”) is a nonprofit public interest law firm with the mission of educating, advocating and litigating on behalf of low- and fixed-income utility consumers in matters affecting affordability, universal service, and consumer protection. Learn more at www.utilityproject.org or www.facebook.com/utilityproject, or on Twitter @utilityproject.