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.
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.
Now RGE has the gall to request the state to raise our gas and electric rates over 20% because the millions of dollars in fines they’ve earned for poor customer service practices like the one I experienced is cutting into their profit margin.
This is not how a public utility should operate, and RGE’s poor track record with the public and constant failure to meet basic requirements from the state for the right to operate as a virtual monopoly coupled with the audacity of attempting to gouge the public to pay for their fines means that RGE should forfeit their right to be our utility. It’s time we took matters into our own hands.