B-roll, Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Meets With Buffalo Residents to Highlight State Energy Affordability Program

Governor Kathy Hochul today met with Buffalo residents at the Frank E. Merriweather Library to highlight the State's Energy Affordability Program (EAP). While one million households statewide are already enrolled in the EAP, the State estimates that approximately 2.5 million more households are eligible to enroll for monthly discounts - including many that are now eligible due to Governor Hochul's expansion of program eligibility. Depending on household income, the EAP can help Buffalo residents save up to hundreds of dollars per year on utility costs, with discounts set to make a typical utility bill less than six percent of household income. To learn more, go to NY.gov/eap.

B-ROLL of the Governor highlighting the Energy Affordability Program in Buffalo is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Our goal is to make sure your energy bills do not exceed six percent of your income. How's that sound? Yes. Is that good? So we're going to make sure you sign up for this. We're able to expand this program, our Energy Assistance Program, affordability program. So we're going to expand to 2.5 million more New Yorkers, and the income thresholds are higher.

This is going to help you shave off the cost of your energy bills, utility bills every single month. Now, that's separate from what we're doing this past week. I announced that next week, check your mailboxes because we're mailing out a billion dollars worth of checks to help with utility bills going to 8.2 million New Yorkers, many here in Western New York, and that's going to be up to $200 a person.

So check's going to be in the mail, plus sign up for this program. And I want to thank our Department of Public Service here and our entire team who's working to get the word out so we can expand these programs to focus on driving down utility costs for our residents across the state. So, how's that sound, everybody? We'll hand out some information and help, we can help you sign up right here, right?