Reliable & Ready: With $315 Million Invested for Summer Preparations, Orange & Rockland is Ready for Every Season

Investments will Support Long‑Term System Reliability and Resilience

As part of its annual preparations for summer months, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) is investing $315 million into its energy system to ensure reliable and resilient service for customers with higher temperatures and potentially severe weather events on the horizon.

This year’s preparations expand on the work of summer 2025, when O&R invested $293 million into its infrastructure, further hardening systems across the service territory, and bringing even more dependable service to customers. Overall, O&R has invested more than $2 billion into the grid since 2016, reducing the number of customers impacted per service interruption by 15 percent.

Over the last two years, O&R has responded to more than 30 storms and heat events. Extreme weather continues to place a strain on infrastructure across all seasons, requiring a grid that can withstand higher temperatures and more frequent storms. This summer’s investments reinforce O&R’s ongoing commitment to building tomorrow’s energy grid today—one that will power New York’s energy transition while maintaining the reliability our customers expect.

“Orange & Rockland powers the life of the Hudson Valley, serving nearly one million people across homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools,” said Michele O’Connell, O&R president and CEO. “The energy needs of our customers are changing rapidly, especially as demand continues to rise as summers grow hotter. O&R is proud of our record investments, allowing us to modernize our system to deliver cleaner energy, greater resilience, and reliable service—today and for decades to come.”

Electric Infrastructure Investments

O&R is dedicated to hardening its energy systems and making them more resilient. Our crews are in the field replacing and building additional automated circuits to minimize disruptions, strategically placing systems underground, strengthening overhead lines, and trimming vegetation at critical service locations.

• Orangeburg – A $24 million initiative which replaced two transformers at the Corporate Drive substation allowing the company to meet the growing electric demand in the area.
• Monsey – A $4.8 million project that upgraded a transformer at the Monsey
  substation to meet expanding load growth and enhance reliability.
• Wurtsboro – A $255K series of upgrades to overhead lines across Route 56 to address aging infrastructure and increase capacity to an undersized conductor.
• Woodbury – Construction on a new $102 million substation on Forest Avenue began in May, which will bring additional capacity to the nearby Monroe and Harriman substations and improve reliability.
• Warwick – Construction on a new $65 million substation on State School Road also began this spring. Once completed, this new substation will enhance service reliability to customers in the area.
• Clarkstown – A $57.8 million project to install new underground transmission lines, spanning 5.7 miles from the Burns substation to the West Nyack substation, is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in early 2027.

Taking Electric Underground

 

Throughout the year, O&R will also complete nine projects for a combined $19 million to bring electrical service underground throughout both Orange and Rockland counties. This work will harden systems along more than five miles of critical points against high-demand summer months and storms.

Preventing Overhead Line Damage

O&R continues to expand its tree-pruning efforts and hazard tree programs. In 2025, the company once again exceeded its hazard tree goal by 10 percent. This year, O&R is targeting 2,200 hazard trees to be removed. Greater clearances contribute to better safety and system reliability and improved storm hardening of the system.

 

Smarter Grid Technology

O&R continues to improve reliability by automating its electric system through smart grid technological improvements. The smart grid integrates state-of-the-art equipment and technology with advances in computer analysis, communications, monitoring and control to significantly enhance system reliability, efficiency and overall quality of service.

Nearly 80 new remote-operated devices are being installed this summer in addition to the existing switching devices that minimize the number of customers affected by outages.

Forecasting Summer Bills

O&R forecasts an average monthly summer electric bill for a typical residential customer for 2026 to be $156.32, a 0.8% percent increase from 2025. That forecast includes the cost of 550 kWh of electricity and its delivery.

Delivery costs include the labor and materials required for upgrading and maintaining electrical infrastructure, from overhead and underground cables to substations, and preparing the grid for the transition to a clean energy future. Delivery rates are set by state regulatory agencies.

O&R does not set supply costs and doesn’t make a profit from the energy it buys in the wholesale supply market. The customer pays what O&R pays.

Managing Summer Bills

Warmer weather results in higher energy usage, which ultimately results in higher bills. O&R is committed to educating customers about their bills and providing resources to help manage their energy costs. Here are some energy-saving efficiency tips. We also provide customers with information about saving money through Rebates, Incentives, and Tax Credits.

The company also offers Payment Plans and Assistance for customers who need bill payment assistance. Customers who need help getting their accounts back on track can utilize O&R’s internal credit tools, such as budget billing, and payment agreements.

Keeping Energy Affordable

O&R is offering its new Enhanced Energy Affordability Program (EEAP), helping more customers save on their energy bills. Now, households with incomes that fall below the state median may be eligible to receive bill discounts. Since launching in January, more than 800 customers have enrolled.

The company continues to offer its Energy Affordability Program (EAP) to income-eligible customers who find themselves facing financial hardship and meet certain eligibility criteria. In 2025, O&R provided over $23 million in bill relief to over 20,400 of our most vulnerable customers. 

The HEAP Cooling Assistance Benefit is now open. Eligible households may receive financial assistance for an air conditioner or fan and can apply through their local Department of Social Services.

Helping Customers Save

O&R offers significant energy efficiency programs that can help customers save energy and money this summer while maintaining those savings throughout the year.

This year, O&R partnered with HomeBoost and the Ramapo Catskill Library System to provide customers with free do-it-yourself energy kits to identify areas of their homes in need of weatherproofing and insulation. O&R customers can now borrow a HomeBoost BoostBox from over 20 libraries throughout Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties. The free kit (a $99 value) includes a thermal camera that connects to a smartphone and instructions on how to set up an account through the HomeBoost app. Click here for more information and to see a list of participating libraries.

Residential customers in New York can take advantage of the My ORU Store for a wide variety of energy-saving products, programs, and home services. Customers can stack their savings by combining energy efficiency rebates with exclusive manufacturer discounts on a wide variety of products.  Those who purchase a qualified smart thermostat to control their central air conditioner can also automatically enroll in the Smart Savers program to receive an additional instant $85 rebate at checkout. The My ORU Store also offers many do it yourself (DIY) products that you can easily install to maximize your cooling and help make your home weather-ready by eliminating air leaks and energy waste. O&R has partnerships with various third-party vendors to assist customers in finding certified contractors who perform energy-efficient upgrades, including heat pump installations, solar and battery storage, and insulation and weatherization services.

Both residential and commercial customers can also take steps to electrify their buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuel heating systems with highly efficient electric heat pumps. The NYS Clean Heat and Building Electrification programs are designed to provide rebates to customers for making the switch to a cold-climate heat pump, heat pump water heater, or other heat pump solutions designed and used for space and water heating. Customers can receive rebates as an instant discount or by rebate check and can explore our network of participating contractors to get their project started. Through our commercial custom electric and gas energy efficiency programs, businesses can decrease energy usage, potentially lower operating expenses, and realize additional savings by reducing maintenance needs and improving equipment efficiency.

Powering Electric Vehicle Incentives

Customers who have made the shift to electric vehicles can now be part of the community of drivers who are earning cash incentives for charging at off-peak times through O&R’s SmartCharge NY Program. Commercial EV charger owners/operators participating in O&R’s SmartCharge Commercial program can earn incentives by shifting EV charging load to off-peak periods during the day.

O&R helps make the transition to electric vehicles easier and more affordable. The company is here to guide customers through the process with its free Fleet Assessment Service. This service helps plan the electrification of their site, or their fleet with O&R’s Site & Fleet Electrification Calculator.

Customer Protections During Extreme Heat

Residential customers are afforded specific safeguards during periods of elevated temperatures. Service disconnections are suspended when the local heat index is forecasted to reach 90°F or higher. We will also pause disconnections for two additional days in areas designated as heat islands. More information is available at oru.com/specialservices.

 

About O&R

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies. O&R is a regulated utility that provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York State (where its franchise name is Orange and Rockland Utilities) and northern New Jersey (where it’s Rockland Electric Company), and natural gas service to approximately 140,000 customers in New York.