When an ice storm brings down power lines in upstate New York or summer heat pushes Manhattan’s electricity demand to its limit, the company responsible for the local grid becomes essential. These utilities maintain substations, replace poles, restore outages and deliver electricity to millions of homes and businesses.
Unlike internet or insurance providers, residents generally cannot choose their electricity delivery company. The utility depends on the property’s location. This list therefore highlights five major power companies serving New York, based on customer reach, service territory and importance to the state’s electricity system.
1. Con Edison
Consolidated Edison Company of New York, commonly known as Con Edison, is the principal electricity utility for New York City and most of Westchester County. The company reports serving approximately 10 million people through one of the world’s largest energy-delivery systems. It provides electricity, natural gas and, in parts of Manhattan, steam service.
Operating in such a densely populated territory requires extensive underground networks, substations and specialised urban infrastructure. Con Edison also provides outage tracking, energy-efficiency programmes, electric-vehicle support and incentives connected with cleaner heating and distributed energy.
Customers cannot switch away from Con Edison for delivery when their property is inside its service territory, although eligible customers may select a separate energy service company for the electricity-supply portion of their bill.
Why Con Edison is included: Its enormous New York City network and responsibility for powering homes, offices, hospitals, transit facilities and major commercial buildings make it the state’s most prominent electricity utility.
- Headquarters: 4 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003
- Official website: https://www.coned.com/
2. National Grid
National Grid is a major electricity and natural-gas utility serving extensive parts of upstate New York. Its electric operations are carried out through Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation and cover communities around Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, the Mohawk Valley and numerous smaller towns.
The company is also an important gas provider in parts of New York City and Long Island, although those customers may receive electricity from another utility. National Grid describes itself as one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, serving more than 20 million people across New York and Massachusetts.
Its upstate work includes transmission upgrades, substation improvements, storm restoration, smart-meter deployment and support for electric vehicles and building electrification.
Why National Grid is included: Its large upstate service area and major role in both local distribution and high-voltage transmission make it central to New York’s electricity network.
- New York regional office: 300 Erie Boulevard West, Syracuse, NY 13202
- Official website: https://www.nationalgridus.com/
3. PSEG Long Island and LIPA
Electricity service on Long Island and in the Rockaways is organised differently from most investor-owned utilities. The Long Island Power Authority, or LIPA, is a not-for-profit public utility that owns the area’s electric transmission and distribution system.
Customers use the PSEG Long Island brand for services such as billing, outage reporting, new connections, energy-efficiency programmes and account management. The system serves approximately 1.2 million customers across Nassau County, Suffolk County and the Rockaways, excluding several communities with their own municipal utilities.
The utility provides solar, geothermal, electric-vehicle and heating-and-cooling programmes. Its grid work also includes storm hardening, tree trimming and reliability improvements designed for Long Island’s coastal weather risks.
Why PSEG Long Island and LIPA are included: Together, they operate one of New York’s largest regional electricity systems and provide power to most Long Island residents and businesses.
- LIPA administrative office: 333 Earle Ovington Boulevard, Uniondale, NY 11553
- LIPA website: https://www.lipower.org/
4. New York State Electric & Gas
New York State Electric & Gas, better known as NYSEG, serves a large and geographically diverse part of upstate New York. The company reports approximately 924,544 electricity customers across more than 40% of the state’s upstate territory. It is a subsidiary of Avangrid.
Its service area includes cities, small towns and rural communities across the Southern Tier, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes and other regions. NYSEG maintains power lines, substations, hydroelectric facilities and other generation and distribution assets.
Customers can access outage maps, smart-meter information, clean-heating rebates, energy-storage programmes and electric-vehicle incentives through the company’s website.
Why NYSEG is included: Its unusually broad geographic reach and experience serving rural as well as urban communities make it one of New York’s most important upstate utilities.
- Corporate mailing address: P.O. Box 5224, Binghamton, NY 13902-5224
- Official website: https://www.nyseg.com/
5. Rochester Gas and Electric
Rochester Gas and Electric, commonly called RG&E, provides electricity and natural gas in a nine-county region centred on Rochester. The company reports serving approximately 396,285 electricity customers and 327,256 natural-gas customers.
RG&E maintains local power lines and substations while also supporting smart meters, distributed generation, electric vehicles and energy-efficiency programmes. Its concentrated service territory gives it an important role in Rochester’s residential, university, healthcare and manufacturing economy.
Like NYSEG, RG&E is part of Avangrid Networks. However, the two operate as separate utilities with their own customers, service areas, outage systems and contact details.
Why Rochester Gas and Electric is included: Its substantial customer base and long-standing responsibility for the Rochester region make it a major part of New York’s power sector.
- Corporate office: 180 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
- Official website: https://www.rge.com/
What Should New York Electricity Customers Understand?
The utility owns and maintains the wires, poles, meters and local distribution equipment. It is also the company customers should contact during an outage or electrical emergency.
In many parts of New York, customers may choose an energy service company, or ESCO, to supply the electricity. Switching suppliers does not change the delivery utility or improve outage restoration. Before choosing an ESCO, compare the supply rate, contract length, cancellation fee and whether the price is fixed or variable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I choose my power company in New York?
A: Usually, no. The electricity delivery utility is determined by the property’s address. Customers in eligible areas may be able to choose a different company for electricity supply only.
Q: Why does an electricity bill show supply and delivery charges?
A: The supply charge covers the electricity purchased for the customer. Delivery charges pay for the poles, wires, substations, meters, maintenance and other equipment used to bring that electricity to the property.
Q: Who should be contacted during a power outage?
A: Contact the local delivery utility shown on the electricity bill, even when the customer purchases electricity from an ESCO. The ESCO does not repair local power lines.
Q: Do municipal utilities operate in New York?
A: Yes. Some communities, including parts of Long Island and several upstate municipalities, operate their own electricity systems and are not served by the five utilities listed above.
Q: Does installing solar allow a homeowner to disconnect from the utility?
A: Most residential solar systems remain connected to the utility grid. The utility handles interconnection, metering and applicable credits while supplying power when the solar system is not producing enough electricity.