New York’s Public Service Commission is scheduled to vote on Thursday on a three-year rate agreement for Central Hudson Gas & Electric that would lift residential electricity bills 3.12% in the first year, followed by increases of 3.4% and 3.7% in the subsequent two years. The utility has told regulators the plan would generate almost $96 million in additional revenue and includes $2.8 million in performance-based bonuses for executives over the second and third years. Democratic members of Congress and local officials, including Representatives Pat Ryan and George Latimer, have urged the commission to reject the proposal, arguing that households already face steep cost-of-living pressures. The same lawmakers are also opposing a separate Con Edison request to raise electric and gas rates by more than 18%. The New York fight is part of a wider political backlash against rising energy costs. Representative Joe Wilson warned that federal policy could push average U.S. electricity bills 25% higher by 2030 and more than 70% by 2035. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom asked state lawmakers to authorize the expansion of regional power markets, saying it would cut costs, reduce emissions and improve grid reliability.