ALBANY, NY (January 2026) — New York’s residential electricity prices are among the highest in the nation, according to data from the Empire Center for Public Policy and the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In January 2026, the state’s average residential electricity price reached 28.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, placing it sixth highest in the U.S. and 11 cents above the national average of 17.5 cents.
Prices rose 3.6 percent from December and were up 12 percent year over year, rising faster than the national average. Zilvinas Silenas, president of the Empire Center, commented, “Even before the war in Iran, New Yorkers were suffering from some of the highest electricity prices in the U.S. Instead of complaining about the Trump administration and data centers, state legislators should be looking in the mirror and focusing on what they are doing that makes electricity in New York more expensive than in nearly every other state, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”
Natural gas prices fell slightly to $16 per thousand cubic feet, closely tracking the national trend while remaining 15 percent above the national average. The Empire Center for Public Policy publishes monthly updates through its Energy Data Bulletin, tracking electricity and natural gas prices across New York and neighboring states. The Empire Center urges lawmakers to adopt policies that curb rising costs and ensure reliable, competitive, and affordable energy for all New Yorkers.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 089 972 0669.