Activists protest high gas bills outside Brooklyn’s National Grid HQ

Members of environmental and public interest organizations rallied Tuesday outside Downtown Brooklyn’s National Grid headquarters. Photo: Food & Water Watch

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Activists waving signs and outrageous utility bills gathered outside National Grid headquarters on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday to protest high prices and the negative environmental effects of oil and natural gas.

Local gas bills have skyrocketed, but National Grid says it’s not their fault. “Energy prices have risen worldwide due to increased global demand and lagging production,” the company says on its website. Adding to the increase are colder-than-normal temperatures.

The rallygoers want Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the City Council to support a plan which would pay for energy-efficient heat pumps in low-income neighborhoods and phase out new gas boilers.

New York City previously enacted Local Law 154, which would bar new gas hookups in residential buildings, phased in over a period of several years depending on building size.

“At today’s event, we called for an initial $10 million in the city’s budget to subsidize heat pumps in low-income communities, as well as pushing for a policy to eventually require that when old boilers die they are replaced with heat pumps,” Eric Weltman, senior organizer for Food & Water Watch, told the Brooklyn Eagle on Tuesday. “This campaign’s goals are cutting energy bills, reducing air pollution and creating good union jobs.”

Members of environmental and public interest organizations rallied Tuesday outside Downtown Brooklyn’s National Grid headquarters. Photo: Food & Water Watch Activists waving signs and outrageous utility bills gathered outside National Grid headquarters on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday. Photo: Food & Water Watch

Other rally participants included members of New York Public Interest Research Group and New York Communities for Change.

Plans by New York State and New York City to phase out future oil and gas installations are being challenged in court, however, according to Politico’s E&E News. Trade and industry groups are challenging the city’s Local Law 154 and the state’s new building and energy codes that prevent gas infrastructure in certain buildings, the outlet reports.

In related news, Brooklyn Community Board 9 invited residents to stop by 890 Nostrand Ave. on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an in-person session with National Grid Consumer Advocates, who will be available to meet one-on-one and connect residents with available energy assistance programs.