[Updated September 4, 2026]
Sign the petition: https://www.greenrochester.org/publicutility.
What are you trying to do?
We are trying to replace Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) with a public utility in the City of Rochester.
Who are “we”?
The Green Party of Monroe County and F.I.G.H.T. are spearheading this effort. There are individuals who do not identify as members of either group who are contributing to the effort.
Are you one of those companies that is always bugging me to buy electricity from them?
Absolutely not! Here is how it works. New York State will not allow companies that deliver electricity to also create electricity. So RG&E delivers electricity; in fact they have a state-sponsored monopoly to do so in our area. Those other companies work on creating the electricity through various means (i.e. hydro, solar, wind, nuclear, etc.). They are the ones who keep bugging you.
We are trying to replace the delivery of electricity to your house and business in the City of Rochester from RG&E (for profit) to a public utility (non-profit). We are not selling anything nor making money in any way from this. We are your neighbors trying to make our community better.
How will this public utility be better than what we have now?
The quick explanation is, lower rates, better service, and when we pay our bills the money stays in Rochester.
Lower rates: RG&E is owned by Avangrid, which is owned by Iberdrola which is located in Spain. They are a for-profit company that made $7 billion in profit in 2025. That is why they exist, to increase shareholder value. That is why those who run the corporation are not overly motivated to improve service or reduce rates, they just want to milk as much money from our community as they can. A public utility has a different goal – keep the lights on. They are not out to make a profit therefore rates are reduced right away.
Better service: In our push to get petition signatures we have talked to some RG&E employees. They have all agreed that we need to get rid of this outside corporation. A locally-owned and run utility would not have the corporate bureaucracy in the way of customer service and if set up right would be run much better than what we have now.
Money stays in Rochester: Currently, when we pay our bill, the “profits” end up in Spain. We have nothing against the country, but money from our utility should stay here, circulating in our community.
Why is this just for the City of Rochester?
It would be better if we could replace RG&E within all of Monroe County; or better yet, in the entire RG&E service area. Unfortunately, the way New York State lays out the only way to create a public utility it is virtually impossible to start this utility for more than one municipality at a time.
What does NYS law say?
The procedure for creating a public utility is actually simple. A municipality must:
1. Do a feasibility study. Then,
2. Have a referendum so that voters can decide if they want the utility. Assuming they vote Yes,
3. Negotiate with the current utility to purchase their infrastructure. (wires, transformers, land, etc.)
If you have more than one municipality trying to create the public utility, any one town can torpedo the entire process at any of the three stages. That is why we are only focusing on the City of Rochester. If there is another municipality in Monroe County that has a group of people who would like to organize the same thing in their town, we would happily assist them. Just reach out to us.
Isn’t there another group trying to do this for the entire county?
Yes, there is. Here is the complete history of having a public utility in Rochester. In the 1980’s there was a group of people who tried to create a public utility and were not successful. Then in 2009, Alex White ran for Mayor of Rochester as a Green. Part of his platform was to replace RG&E with a public utility. Since that time, numerous Greens have run for local office in the City with a public utility in their platform; the latest being Dave Sutliff-Atias who unsuccessfully ran for City Council in 2025. Dave’s campaign featured public utility creation and it was from that campaign for office that spurred the community effort that is taking place now.
Approximately 6 years ago, the local organization, Metro Justice approached Alex for feedback as they had decided to take on this effort. Alex told them directly that going for the entire county was a mistake because of the reasons outlined above. Metro Justice decided to attempt to do the entire county anyway and have not succeeded.
We have had conversations with Metro Justice and have decided to stay in our own lanes for the present time. We are confident that our focus on one municipality at a time has a much better chance of succeeding than trying to do the entire county. If you live outside the City of Rochester, please sign their online petition at: https://www.metrojustice.org/redpetition.
Where are we in this process for creating the public utility right now?
We are stuck on step 1 – the feasibility study. Over 3 years ago, Rochester City Council set aside $500,000 to contribute to a study for the entire county. The rest of Monroe County decided not to participate – a perfect example of why trying to do more than one municipality does not work. Since then, City Council has been sitting on the money. THAT is where we are and what our petition is trying to do is to shake loose that money for the study.
And that feasibility study will cost $500,000?
We don’t know. If fact, no one on City Council knows either, and if they say they do, don’t believe them. The City will have to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) and companies will have to submit bids. That actually does not cost a dime. City Council could easily do this without spending any of the money, but they won’t.
Why won’t City Council just issue an RFP for the study?
We have talked to 5 of the 9 current City Council members. No one has given us a good reason. Again, that’s why we have this ongoing petition. We want to present thousands of signatures of City residents to show them that we want action. But let’s be honest here. Avantgrid, the middle company in the RG&E – Avangrid – Iberdrola conglomerate, has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the NYS Democratic Committee as well as thousands of dollars directly to the County Executive’s election fund, the Mayor of Rochester’s election fund, and to every member of the local delegation of the State Assembly and Senate. This is political, pure and simple. And that is why we need thousands of City resident signatures; to make our elected representatives represent US.
How much will all of this cost taxpayers?
There’s initial bad news, but the overall outlook is good news. The bad news is this is going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which we will obviously have to borrow through municipal bonds. The good news is that the public utility will end up paying for itself. Almost every project the City issues bonds for does not bring in revenue. This does! According to the American Public Power Association (APPA), this is how municipalities pay for a public utility and they also add that once the utility is created “cities have access to tax-exempt financing for future investments in the system.” This is a legitimate investment in our community that will pay off for decades if not longer.
OK, OK. You convinced me. How can I help?
Assuming you live in the City of Rochester, sign the petition. It is the most important thing you can do.
Share the link to the petition on your social media. Just make sure you make it clear that it is for City of Rochester residents only.
Talk about the issue; with friends, family, and neighbors. Let them know what we are doing and tell them how they can get involved.
When we have enough that will have an impact on City Council we will then be asking folks to sign up to speak at a Speak to Council meeting at City Hall. That’s probably at least a couple of months away, but if you’re willing to show up and speak to up to 2 minutes to tell them your story about how a public utility would benefit you and your family, make sure you’re getting our emails so you know when that will be happening.
In 2027, the district seats on City Council will be up for re-election. Make sure the topic of a public utility is discussed with every person running for office. Email the candidates in your district. Tag them on social media. Go to community candidate forums and ask about a public utility. Make them commit to making this a reality.
ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
There is only so much electricity generated in New York State. Where is the electricity for this public utility going to come from?
In the negotiations for buying RG&E’s infrastructure, we will probably have to negotiate to take on some of their contract with the companies that supply RG&E and/or have our state delegation lobby for a special dispensation to buy from providers. But apart from this, the New York Power Association (NYPA) has already approved 5.5 gigawatts of electricity generation projects for public utilities only. AND they are considering an additional 6.2 gigawatts more. The sooner we create our own public utility, the sooner we can get in on this.
