RG&E's incompetence continues while rate hikes make us pay more for RG&E's failures. Thanks to growing public outcries against RG&E and grassroots organizing by our Rochester for Energy Democracy Coalition, the Monroe County Legislature is once again drafting legislation to fund and commission a study on replacing RG&E with a public utility. Progress has stalled, however, because County Executive Adam Bello will not commit to signing legislation to initiate a study even if it passes the County Legislature.
RG&E and their Big Business cronies are trying to stop Bello and his administration from even studying a public utility, thus preventing the public from having an informed choice on how we get our power. The business lobby against a public utility study includes the Head of the Chamber of Commerce, Bob Duffy – who is paid to serve on the board of RG&E’s parent company. The residents of Monroe County have already waited too long for a solution to the RG&E crisis; it's time for County Executive Bello to show whether he will side with the facts and the people, or RG&E's corporate owners.
The public uproar has been loud and clear: we deserve a real chance to explore a public alternative to foreign-owned RG&E. Monroe County must study replacing RG&E with a locally controlled and publicly owned utility that is cheaper, prioritizes customer service and reliability, and invests the money we pay into our local economy and needs. The next opportunity for the County Legislature to introduce legislation, so that it can undergo review in time for them to vote on it this spring, is the Democratic Caucus meeting on March 18th. County Executive Adam Bello's support is critical to ensuring that legislation for a study gets introduced, reviewed, passed, and implemented. Join our press conference where we will share updates on whether or not legislation for a study is being introduced, what this means for how we move forward to get a public utility study, and call on County Executive Adam Bello to side with the people over RG&E's corporate owners.
The press conference is Wednesday, March 20th at 9 AM at the front entrance of the Monroe County Government Office (39 West Main Street, Rochester, NY 14614).
RSVP below!
39 W Main St
Rochester, NY 14614
United States
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