I want to replace RG&E with a local, community controlled public utility!

I want to replace RG&E with a local, community controlled public utility!

Did you know that we can vote out the foreign-owned corporation that owns and controls RG&E? RG&E is owned by a foreign multinational corporation called Iberdrola that extracts over $120 million in profits from our region every year. Rochester for Energy Democracy (RED) is Metro Justice’s campaign to replace foreign-owned RG&E in Rochester or Monroe County into a not for profit, locally controlled public utility.

RG&E's track record speaks volumes—surprise billing, exorbitant rates and shut offs, terrible customer service, and rising rates have plagued our community for far too long. In addition to being unresponsive to the needs of city residents, RG&E has all but ignored the impending climate crisis, continued to invest in fossil fuels, and lobbied against green energy policies. It's time for change.

  

 

4,561 signatures

By signing this petition, I support the call to replace RG&E with a locally owned and community controlled public utility that meets the needs of our communities instead of serving the greed of distant investors and CEOs. I want a public utility based on the principles of energy democracy:

  • Affordable Rates,
  • Local investment of ratepayer dollars to prioritize customer service and a reliable grid, 
  • A fast and equitable transition to zero greenhouse gas emissions, 
  • More good paying union jobs and a just transition for fossil fuel energy workers, 
  • Public ownership of the utility, where it is run by value-aligned general management and its current employees, governed by an elected Board of Directors, and has a real say for ratepayers. 

In particular, I call on elected leaders to take the first step and study whether and how a public utility could meet these goals.

Will you sign?

  • Alex Montano
    signed 2026-02-15 09:56:49 -0500
    i HATE RGE. get this OUT!!!!
  • Daniel Milligan
    signed 2026-02-13 13:07:51 -0500
    Utilities are a public good. They should not be run pointed at shareholder profits, but at providing the best possible electrical at the lowest possible price.
  • Sarah Wolfe
    signed 2026-02-11 21:29:01 -0500
  • April Sierra
    signed 2026-02-11 20:22:27 -0500
  • J White
    signed 2026-02-06 09:15:12 -0500
  • Brian Cain
    signed 2026-02-05 10:46:49 -0500
  • Morgan Cain
    signed 2026-02-05 10:45:33 -0500
    I want to replace RGE
  • Sean Myers
    signed 2026-02-05 10:10:44 -0500
  • Nicholas Salatino
    signed 2026-02-05 09:06:07 -0500
  • Sarah Long
    signed 2026-02-05 08:34:19 -0500
  • Patrick Kinz-thompson
    signed 2026-02-04 20:36:53 -0500
  • Sara Leibold
    signed 2026-02-04 19:19:15 -0500
  • Kayla Ernisse
    signed 2026-02-04 18:23:16 -0500
  • Cameron Palmer
    signed 2026-02-04 18:19:49 -0500
  • Isaiah Wiseman
    signed 2026-02-04 18:11:18 -0500
  • Troy Harrington
    signed 2026-02-04 18:05:11 -0500
  • Adea McDonough
    signed 2026-02-04 17:10:57 -0500
  • Ernest Fynn
    signed 2026-02-04 16:48:52 -0500
  • Mariama Woodss
    signed 2026-02-04 16:41:16 -0500
  • Ankur Mody
    signed 2026-02-04 16:15:42 -0500
  • Martin Ryan
    signed 2026-02-04 16:11:32 -0500
    If they can’t get enough money from my usage, they slam me with high delivery charges and fees
  • clay mcbride
    signed 2026-02-04 11:38:54 -0500
    This is insane, the bill for a one-bedroom apartment is $300 this month!
  • Monica Dougherty
    signed 2026-02-03 21:29:36 -0500
  • Sara Kuehl
    signed 2026-02-03 11:47:58 -0500
  • Meghan Yaeger
    signed 2026-02-01 21:23:49 -0500
  • Lea Setegn
    signed 2026-02-01 18:36:19 -0500
  • calvin stuck
    signed 2026-01-31 09:54:52 -0500
    I just got a $1,200 RGE bill. I have a smaller 2 bedroom trailer. Everything at my home is LED and I do not leave any electric devices on or even plugged in unless necessary. This is ridiculous. I thought the $563 I had the previous month was insane. When I call they just bull shit me the entire time. I know people with 3+ bedroom houses who pay less than $300 a month. I’m tired of how corrupted RGE is and how badly they screw their customers. They need to go.
  • M Hamlin
    signed 2026-01-31 09:52:21 -0500
    RG&E is a monopoly that needs to be stopped, stripped and sold off. Why in the MF am I paying 1000 dollars for a month of service to a MOBILE HOME?!
  • Sara Buchiere
    signed 2026-01-29 19:22:11 -0500
  • Colleen Michael
    signed 2026-01-29 11:05:45 -0500

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