Every year, Chuck commits to traveling to all62 counties in New York to meet with constituents.
\nOn March 20, 2014, Schumer urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to undo an order that would unfairly hike electric rates in the Hudson Valley. In January, FERC reapproved a proposal by the New York Independent System Operators (NYISO) - which operates and administers New York's transmission network - to create a new capacity zone in Ulster and Orange Counties, and elsewhere in the Hudson Valley, that raises electric rates in order to attract new power generation. In some areas, these rate hikes could be as high as 10%. Schumer said that the FERC order was wrongheaded, fails to adequately protect residential and business consumers and is demanding that, in their second rehearing, FERC should overturn their initial decision based on several considerations.