Governor's officeTier 1
Hochul launches an enrollment drive for the Energy Affordability Program: 1M households enrolled, state says 2.5M more are eligible after the January 2026 expansion to median-income households (up to $162K for a family of four in Con Ed territory); discounts cap a typical bill at under 6% of income
DPS will run targeted ads, direct mail, email and texts, with social-services agencies cross-referencing enrollees in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI and other programs, which are EAP-eligible but not auto-enrolled because of privacy rules. Eligibility expanded in January 2026 to households below state median income (or area median income in NYC, Westchester and Nassau). State cites $6.6B in direct utility-bill relief since 2021 plus the $1B POWER checks mailing from Sept 21. Announced one week before the POWER checks and seven weeks before the election.
More on energy
New York Post (Carl Campanile); text verified via EVSHIFT syndication · Sep 15, 2026Blakeman pledges to kill the 2035 gas-car ban (Advanced Clean Cars II) and building electrification rules if elected: "Kathy Hochul looks at middle-class commuters and sees an ATM," citing 21 toll and fare hikes and congestion pricing; Hochul campaign does not defend the mandate directly, instead ties Blakeman to Trump gas prices and tariffsSpectrum News · Aug 28, 2026State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez urges Hochul to sign a data-center moratorium bill that goes beyond her executive orderGovernor's Office · Aug 15, 2026Hochul opens $35M Charge Ready NY program for public-sector EV charger installationsRadio Catskill · Aug 7, 2026Blakeman takes "green energy scam" attack to the Catskills, targeting 1,200-acre solar project
Source: Governor's office · Sep 15, 2026 · Credibility Tier 1 · Permalink https://reviewhochul.com/news/eap-enrollment-drive-2-5m-households
ReviewHochul aggregates and contextualizes published reporting. This page links to the original source; it is not a substitute for it.