It’s now up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to decide whether to create a state office tasked with sticking up for ratepayers. The state Legislature advanced the bill which would establish a "state office of the utility consumer advocate."

As customers grapple with utility rate increases, those who are pushing the legislation argue that it’s time the state provides a voice which is solely responsible for representing consumers as decisions are being made and disputes litigated, rather than leaving it to existing state agencies which juggle other interests.

The office would be tasked with appearing on behalf of New York ratepayers in state and federal regulatory proceedings, and any judicial proceedings that deal with rates and conditions of public service utilities.

Advocates argue that such an office exists in more than 40 states, with New York being the largest without such an entity. The utility consumer advocate would be a position appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate to a six-year term, elevating them to a similar status to the chair of the Public Service Commission.

Currently, the Public Service Commission as well as the Utility Intervention Unit, under the Department of State, represent parties in deliberations over utility rates, but advocates including state Assembly sponsor Jeffrey Dinowitz argue that the Public Service Commission has to balance the interests of multiple parties.

“Given the ridiculous increase that people across the state have gotten in their electricity rates for example, we need to do this and I hope this is the year the governor will sign the bill,” he said. “There are some small agencies within agencies that have tried to deal with some of this but they have not been successful and they’re just not equipped to handle it.”

While opposition has primarily come from Republicans, Gov. Hochul has already vetoed the legislation previously. She argued that advocacy done by those other entities makes such an office redundant.

“Redundant?” Dinowitz said in response. “There is nobody else, no other agency that has on a significant scale done the job.”

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the Public Service Commission to get their perspective, they told us they do not comment on pending legislation.