How will HVPA compare to LIPA?

The state legislature created the Long Island Power Authority in 1998 to take over Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO), a failing private utility with a massive debt. However, instead of becoming a fully publicly-owned utility, LIPA chose a route of public-private partnership and contracted with private corporations like KeySpan, which later became National Grid, to run the operation. As such, even though LIPA lowered rates immediately, it was never able to realize the full benefits of public ownership—the woes of the private corporate partner made their way through in its operation. In 2023, an independent commission, the Legislative Commission on the Future of the Long Island Power Authority, examined the ongoing problems and released a report: it recommended that the best path forward for the Long Island Power Authority was to eliminate its contracts with third parties and go fully public.

Unlike LIPA, HVPA is designed to be fully public with strong public accountability guardrails.