The Westchester Brief | 04.22.26: Your Con Ed Ken Jenkins' Rate Fight

Your Con Edison bill is going up about $5.32 a month. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and the Board of Legislators just filed a joint brief with the New York Public Service Commission opposing the increases. Jenkins is also demanding in-person PSC hearings in Westchester after initial hearings were held online.

We walk through the numbers. The approved increase: approximately 2.8% electric and 2.0% gas annually through 2028. The original Con Edison ask: 11.4% electric and 13.3% gas — reduced roughly 87% via settlement. We also cover the political framing: Jenkins is using the Con Ed case to set up his State of the County address on May 6 and the broader Westchester affordability narrative.

Plus quick hits on the Pleasantville $17.5M school bond vote (May 19), Westchester Medical Center's $25M "Possible Starts Here" capital campaign, and Café Nelo's Bronxville opening.

**0:00** Cold open
**0:20** The Con Ed rate case and what it costs you
**2:30** The political framing and the State of the County setup
**5:00** Why this is about affordability, not just utilities
**6:30** Quick hits: Pleasantville, WMC, Café Nelo
**8:00** Close + newsletter CTA

**Sources:** Westchester County Executive — utility cost action press release; The City NYC — Con Ed rate case coverage; Daily Voice — Jenkins-Mayer utility coverage

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Your Con Edison bill is going up about$5.32 a month. The county is suing the state to stop it. Here is what is actually happening. This is the Westchester brief. I'm Jim. Let's get into it. Earlier this month, County Executive Ken Jenkins and the Westchester County Board of Legislators filed a joint brief with the New York Public Service Commission. The target, Con Edison's multi-year rate, increases through 2028. The approved increases come in two pieces. Electric bills go up approximately 2.8% annually. Gas bills go up approximately 2.0% annually. For the average Westchester residential customer using 425 kilowatt hours a month, that translates to an extra$5.32 on your bill, a 3.6% bump. Here's the context you're not getting from most coverage. The original Con Edison Ask was much larger. The utility wanted 11.4% for electric and 13.3% for gas. The settlement knocked those numbers down by about 87%. The final package also includes$156.5 million in efficiency savings and expanded affordability protections. That is the regulator's framing. Significant reduction from the original ask. Protections built in. The Jenkins administration is framing it differently. The county's position is that any rate increase right now is too much. The average Westchester household is absorbing compounding affordability pressure, Metro North Fair hikes, property taxes, groceries, rent, and now utilities. 50% of Westchester residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. That is a cost-burden threshold. Adding$5.5 a month to the utility bill is not a crisis by itself, but the cumulative weight is. Jenkins is also doing something procedural. He is demanding the Public Service Commission hold in-person hearings in Westchester County. Initial hearings were held online. The county argues that online only hearings make it harder for small business owners, seniors, and working families to participate meaningfully. State Senator Shelley Mayer is publicly backing that position. And this is not just a Con Edison fight. The county also filed a joint brief with state lawmakers urging action on NYSEG and RG and E-rate increases. Same issue? Same framing. Here's where it gets politically interesting. Jenkins just signed a county budget that closes a$197.7 million gap, with 8% cuts across almost every department and the elimination of 180 positions. A 3.7% tax increase, the county is cutting itself while publicly pressuring the state to hold utility costs down. The state of the county address is two weeks away. May 6th, expect the utility fight to be a through line in that speech. Expect affordability to be the dominant frame, and expect Jenkins to use the Con Edison case as a concrete example of Westchester paying more and getting less. Whether the Public Service Commission moves on in-person hearings is the near-term signal. Whether the NYSEG and RG and E cases follow a similar trajectory is the medium-term signal. And whether any of this translates to actual rate relief for Westchester households is the long-term question. The increase takes effect whether the county wins procedurally or not. Your bill goes up. The political fight is about whether Westchester's voice is heard and how utility cases get decided. That is a legitimate question. It also has limits. Here is what else is happening across Westchester this week. Pleasantville is heading toward its May 19th vote on the$17.5 million school bond. The Field Lights Package, Proposition 2, is the flashpoint. Expect resident forums and public comment in the next few weeks. Westchester Medical Center's$25 million possible starts here capital campaign continues to move. The campaign funds the Brenda Ferreri Pavilion, a$162,000 square foot critical care tower in Valhalla that opens later this year. Caffeinello opens in Bronxville this month. Chef Giuseppe Fanelli, formerly of Tredici North in Purchase, is bringing a cross-cultural menu. One of five named Chef restaurant openings landing across Westchester this quarter. Wednesday CTA. Subscribe to the newsletter at ILiveHearemedia.com for the daily Westchester brief in your inbox. I'm Jim, and I live here. I'll see you tomorrow.