Politics & Government

Levy Calls Out LIPA for High Rates

County executive meets with activists and community leaders in Melville to discuss future of the power authority.

Long Island is too expensive. That’s the message County Executive Steve Levy sent during a panel discussion on the future of the Long Island Power Authority at the on Tuesday.

“The problem with Long Island is the high cost of living,” Levy said speaking to a group of about 50 community activists, including Tea Party members and conservative watch dog groups. He called Long Island electric rates “crazy” and added that energy costs continue to increase.

Steve Flanagan, founder of the Conservative Society for Action moderation the discussion, which was sponsored by the group LIPA LIES (Long Island Energy Surveillance). Panelists included Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick, Bill Faulk, from Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine's office and Suffolk County LIPA  members Irving Like and Pete Schlussler, who is a former LILCO executive.

The main culprit of the island’s high energy costs is the fault of the New York State government, Levy said. Even with a 2-percent property tax cap, residents are paying more than they can afford to the state, he added.

“Taxes are still too darn high and we pay that through our rates,” he said.

Fitzpatrick emphasized that sentiment. “If you think of New York’s economic state as a thoroughbred race horse, we’ve got a 600-pound jockey and we’re not going to win the race,” he said.

As LIPA’s contract with National Grid is set to expire at the end of next year, the power authority is considering three options so far on how it will be run in the future. One idea is to privatize the power authority, in which LIPA would absorb National Grid’s debt. Those at the meeting felt this choice would higher the burden on the tax payer. The second option is to extend the contract with National Grid. The third idea is for LIPA to become a fully operational energy municipality, in which the utility would hire workers and buy property and computer systems from National Grid to provide service itself.

LIPA trustees are meeting in Uniondale Wednesday evening to discuss the options.

“LIPA is going through a traumatic change,” Fred Gorman, an anti-tax activist, who organized the discussion said. “This is our chance to blow the bugle...to tell them that they have to treat ratepayers better.”

LIPA is holding it’s last tonight at 7 p.m. at the LIPA Assembly Center, located at 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale. Residents will be able to speak with the trustees about the options and voice their thoughts on which system the utility should follow.


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