This letter features reporting from “Energy Scarcity and Extreme Heat in Appalachian Virginia” by Katie L. Burke and Melba Newsome

Dear Mayor-Elect Mamdani,

Congratulations on winning the election. My name is Priya Kangbai and I am 12 years old and live in Brooklyn. During the campaign, you said that you were going to be the mayor for everyone, not just those who voted for you. I didn’t vote for you (because I’m too young) but I do want to bring your attention to an issue that affects New Yorkers, particularly the elderly. That issue is extreme heat and the rising cost of electricity.

The Pulitzer Center-supported article “Energy Scarcity and Extreme Heat in Appalachian Virginia” by Katie L. Burke and Melba Newsome with data reporting from Michelle Young and Jennifer Brady focuses on how extreme heat and energy poverty puts the elderly in Virginia at risk. For example, 71-year old Deborah Nagy has chronic kidney disease. Most of her monthly income goes to paying for her healthcare, which leaves her with very little money to pay for electricity since the price keeps increasing. Climate change is resulting in hotter temperatures and this means that the amount of electricity you need to run an air conditioner increases. Throughout Virginia, the amount of electricity needed per year has increased by a third!

New Yorkers face similar problems to the Virginians who are profiled in the article. According to the article “Retirees can’t afford NY’s rising utility bills,” electricity prices in New York are going to increase by 28% by 2027. This affects retirees who live on fixed incomes which means that they don’t have the money to pay for the higher electricity bills. A report put out by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander earlier this year found that 30% of New Yorkers are energy insecure, which means they are unable to meet their household’s energy needs. In the last five years, 3.5 million New Yorkers (42%) have fallen behind on utility payments, and 1.9 million (23%) have experienced utility shutoffs because they could not pay their bills.

You campaigned on making the city more affordable so that people can stay here. One first step you could take would be to support the passage of the Right to Cooling Bill package which is currently pending in the City Council. It is made up of three important components:

  • The Tenant’s Right to Cooling requires landlords to provide and maintain cooling devices to help keep homes no hotter than 78°F in the summer;
  • Codify Cooling Centers establishes a permanent cooling center program for vulnerable populations; and
  • Cool Pavement Pilot launches a pilot project for cool pavement to reduce urban heat.

In addition to supporting passage of this legislation at the city level, you have vowed to fight against Donald Trump if he tries to harm New Yorkers. As the journalists write in the article, President Donald Trump has threatened to eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income households pay for heating and cooling. This would impact 200,000 Virginians and over a million low-income New Yorkers! You need to ensure this program is protected.

I have seen my grandparents struggle with the heat. My older sister’s graduation was in an auditorium with no air conditioning. My grandparents had to carry portable fans and had lots of water but it was still challenging. I am bringing this issue to you because I know you started your career as a foreclosure prevention counselor. You were very impacted by meeting with an elderly man who couldn’t pay his electricity bill. I know that you won’t forget about him and all the other elderly people in New York City who need affordable ways to stay cool.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my thoughts and ideas on how to make New York City affordable, and cool! I hope you take all of them into consideration. I wish you the best of luck in your first term.

Sincerely,
Priya Kangbai

Priya Kangbai is a 7th grader from Brooklyn.  Priya lives in a busy, colorful neighborhood where there’s always something happening.  She often finds ideas for her pieces by watching the world around her. When Priya isn’t writing, she loves spending time with her friends, walking to her favorite corner store, listening to music, and playing soccer.

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