It's curious that the residents of Hudson are hearing about this first from the Times Union, but so it goes. The City owes National Grid $105,000: "Hudson upgraded its streetlights. Then got a $105,000 National Grid bill." This is the first paragraph of the article:
Earlier this month, National Grid sent the city of Hudson a notice threatening to disconnect its 891 streetlights, along with a bill for $105,000 in unpaid electricity costs dating back at least a year.
According to the Department of Public Works, National Grid had not been billing regularly for streetlight electricity since the City began upgrading to LED bulbs in 2024. According to National Grid, the City and its contractor failed to submit updated wattage readings in a timely manner. No explanation is given for why no one seemed to notice that the electricity bills were unusually low.
There is, however, a plan to pay the unexpected bill for $105,000 and keep the streetlights on.
[Mayor Joe] Ferris said Hudson will pay most of the outstanding amount using unspent funds from 2025 budget lines. The remainder will be covered by a proposed 2026 budget amendment. City officials officials hope to move money from 12 different municipal accounts to cover the cost, according to a copy of the proposal.
The resolution transferring unspent funds from various accounts and $75,000 from the General Fund can be viewed here. The resolution is on the agenda for Monday's informal meeting of the Common Council.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK
We’re entering a Dark Ages
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