Summary
In Consolidated Edison v. Public Service Commission of New York, 119 A.D.2d 850, 500 N.Y.S.2d 423 (N.Y.App.Div. 1986), the court declared unconstitutional the Public Service Commission's requirement that Consolidated Edison include inserts from consumer groups in its billing envelopes.
Summary of this case from Central Illinois Light Co. v. C.U.B.Opinion
April 3, 1986
Appeal from the Supreme Court, Albany County (Connor, J.).
In October 1983, respondent proposed that a Citizens' Utility Board, allegedly representing the interests of residential and small business utility ratepayers, be allowed to communicate with ratepayers through the use of "extra space" in the utilities' billing envelopes. "Extra space" is the space remaining in the billing envelope after the inclusion of the bill and required legal notice, utilization of which will not exceed a total weight of one ounce. In May 1984, respondent adopted a policy allowing such communication to ratepayers. Special Term found that this policy infringed on petitioners' rights under the US Constitution 1st Amendment ( 127 Misc.2d 1085). This appeal ensued.
The United States Supreme Court recently held that a State agency violates the 1st Amendment by requiring a privately owned utility company to include in its billing envelopes statements of a third party with which it disagrees (Pacific Gas Elec. Co. v Public Utils. Commn., 475 US ___, 89 L Ed 2d 1). In Pacific Gas, the Supreme Court struck down a California public utilities commission order that residential utility consumers must be permitted access to the extra space in utility company bills. This case is virtually identical to the case presently before this court and, accordingly, we find Pacific Gas to be dispositive of the 1st Amendment issue raised by this appeal.
Order and judgment affirmed, without costs. Main, J.P., Mikoll, Yesawich, Jr., and Levine, JJ., concur.