Didi Barrett was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election in March 2012 and is now in her sixth full term in office. A resident of the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years, she came to elected office after a career as a writer, museum professional and longtime leader of not-for-profit organizations.

Didi Barrett Biography

She is formerly a trustee of the Anderson Foundation for Autism and former board member of the Millbrook Education Foundation and of Sprout Creek Farm, an educational farm in Poughkeepsie.

Didi Barrett has been a resident of the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years. She formerly served as a trustee of the Anderson Foundation for Autism and a board member of the Millbrook Education Foundation and Sprout Creek Farm.

Didi previously worked as a writer and museum professional and was a leader of not-for-profit organizations.

Didi previously worked as a writer, museum professional and for-for-profit organizations.

Didi Barrett was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election in March 2012 and is now in her sixth full term in office.

Didi was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election in March 2012 and is serving her sixth full term.

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As of September 9, 2026, Didi Barrett’s website did not contain information on this issue.

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Didi Barrett was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election in March 2012 and is now in her sixth full term in office. A resident of the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years, she came to elected office after a career as a writer, museum professional and longtime leader of not-for-profit organizations. As a member of the Assembly, she is Chair of the Assembly’s Energy Committee, and also serves on the Committees on Agriculture, Environmental Conservation, and Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.

About Didi Barrett

Didi Barrett came to elected office after working as a writer and museum professional and in leadership roles at not-for-profit organizations.

Biography

Didi Barrett was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election in March 2012 and is now in her sixth full term in office. A resident of the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years, she came to elected office after a career as a writer, museum professional and longtime leader of not-for-profit organizations. As a member of the Assembly, she is Chair of the Assembly’s Energy Committee, and also serves on the Committees on Agriculture, Environmental Conservation, and Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.

I am honored to be representing the hardworking people of our region and remain committed to helping the middle-class by working to lower the tax burden on families and fighting to create good paying jobs which will provide a boost to our economy.

Welcome

Committed to lowering families’ tax burden and helping create good-paying jobs.

- Committed to lowering families’ tax burden and helping create good-paying jobs.

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia) recently passed a package of three bills to increase transparency in New York’s energy sector and protect utility ratepayers. These bills include appointing a consumer advocate to the New York State Energy Planning Board (A.4712), requiring the Public Service Commission (PSC) to include a breakdown of proposed changes to supply and delivery charges for utility customers (A.8151), and legislation that would require the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) to submit a semi-annual financial report on how they are spending their funding (A.8410).

Assemblymember Barrett Passes Package of Bills to Increase Transparency in New York’s Energy Sector

“As Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee, ensuring our ratepayers are protected and informed has always been a top priority,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “Many hardworking New Yorkers are struggling with rising utility costs. It is crucial that there is transparency and that utilities are held accountable. I am proud to pass these bills that will help create a more open and informative process for consumers.”

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia) and Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D-Brooklyn/Queens/Manhattan) announced that they introduced the Accountability of Costs for Data Centers (AC/DC) Act (A.9039-A/S.8540). This legislation will create a new utility rate classification for large energy use facilities to ensure that the costs associated with building and operating data centers, AI and cryptocurrency mining facilities are not borne by residential ratepayers.

Assemblymember Barrett, Senator Gonzalez Introduce AC/DC Act to Protect Ratepayers from Data Centers

“We all know New York is experiencing an alarming energy affordability crisis. Almost daily, my office hears from constituents, small businesses, even local libraries, saddled with fast-rising energy costs and struggling to pay their bills,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “At the same time, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) estimates that an additional 1,600 MW of power could be needed by 2030, driven primarily by data centers, AI and cryptocurrency mining. This common-sense legislation makes these large energy-use customers pay their fair share, enabling innovation without saddling residential ratepayers with all the costs.”

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia) and Senator Nathalia Fernandez (D Bronx/Westchester) announced that their bill, the Greener Home Improvements Act, has been signed into law (Chapter 590 of 2024). This new law will allow municipalities to create a property tax exemption for capital improvements to residential buildings that reduce carbon emissions.

Greener Home Improvements Act Signed into Law

The Greener Home Improvements Act establishes a 20-year tax exemption for carbon-reducing capital improvements on residential buildings, a 100% exemption on the increased assessed value of the home for the first 10 years and decreasing by 10% each year thereafter. Municipalities may opt into the property tax exemption by enacting a local law or resolution. Eligible improvements range from energy retrofits like replacing or installing insulation to the installation of solar panels and heat pumps.

“The Empower+ Program has been a win-win for New York – decarbonizing our building stock while creating good paying jobs and supporting small businesses throughout the state,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “I continue to support the Empower+ Program, and urge NYSERDA to ensure this program remains viable, accessible and adequately funded.”

Barrett Urges NYSERDA to Protect EmPower+ Program

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Columbia/Dutchess Counties), Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Senator Michelle Hinchey (SD-41) announced that they secured $2,000,000+ in the 2024-25 New York State Budget to cap and close the New Lebanon landfill. This funding will allow the Town of New Lebanon to finally begin proper mitigation of the landfill, which has been under order to be closed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) since 2009.

Barrett Secures Funding to Cap and Close New Lebanon Landfill

“The Town of New Lebanon’s landfill was ordered to be closed more than 15 years ago. While the Town has been on a waiting list for funding, the presence of PFAS and other harmful pollutants made it clear that this site needed to be remediated as soon as possible,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett.

Passed legislation to add a consumer advocate to state energy planning, provide details about proposed utility charges, and require semiannual state energy-authority spending reports.

Introduced the Accountability of Costs for Data Centers Act to create utility rates for large energy users instead of placing their costs on residential ratepayers.

 Supported a law allowing municipalities to exempt carbon-reducing residential improvements from property taxes.

Supports maintaining, funding, and expanding access to the Empower+ Program for energy-efficient home improvements.

Secured more than $2 million to cap and close the New Lebanon landfill and mitigate pollution from it.

- Passed legislation to add a consumer advocate to state energy planning, provide details about proposed utility charges, and require semiannual state energy-authority spending reports.
- Introduced the Accountability of Costs for Data Centers Act to create utility rates for large energy users instead of placing their costs on residential ratepayers.
-  Supported a law allowing municipalities to exempt carbon-reducing residential improvements from property taxes.
- Supports maintaining, funding, and expanding access to the Empower+ Program for energy-efficient home improvements.
- Secured more than $2 million to cap and close the New Lebanon landfill and mitigate pollution from it.

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia) announced that she secured $1,000,000 in funding to support a transformative expansion of childcare services at Dutchess Community College. The funding will be used to create two infant care rooms, improve safety and infrastructure for drop-off and pick-up, and significantly expand DCC’s capacity to provide childcare services to students and families across Dutchess County.

Barrett Secures $1 Million for Dutchess Community College Childcare Expansion

“I’m thrilled to announce $1 million in funding for expansion of the childcare facilities and services at Dutchess Community College – an investment that will include infant care for the first time, train our next generation of childcare providers, and allow students and staff at DCC to realize their academic and professional dreams without worrying about finding and paying for quality childcare,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett.

Secured $1 million to expand childcare services at Dutchess Community College, including infant care rooms and safer drop-off and pick-up infrastructure.

- Secured $1 million to expand childcare services at Dutchess Community College, including infant care rooms and safer drop-off and pick-up infrastructure.

Welcome to my New York State Assembly website. You can use this page to easily access information about the work I do both in Albany and at home in the Mid-Hudson Valley to help build a stronger, healthier and more vibrant New York. I am honored to be representing the hardworking people of our region and remain committed to helping the middle-class by working to lower the tax burden on families and fighting to create good paying jobs which will provide a boost to our economy.

Supports lowering families' tax burden and creating good-paying jobs to help the middle class.

- Supports lowering families' tax burden and creating good-paying jobs to help the middle class.

As we see one request after the other for double-digit rate increases from utilities, it is abundantly clear that our current regulatory framework for utilities is not working. It is time to explore alternatives to the “cost of service” utility system which was designed nearly a century ago and which encourages building more infrastructure, and then charging ratepayers. Other approaches like “performance-based regulations“ seem more in sync with the state’s decarbonization, resilience and affordability goal and compensate utilities based on their performance against pre-defined metrics, rather than just on their costs.

To further ensure that ratepayers aren’t unfairly saddled with increased energy costs, it seems time to create a new customer rate classification for large energy users like AI and data centers as outlined in the AC/DC Act (A.9039-A).

Calls for replacing utility regulation based on service costs with performance-based rules tied to reducing carbon emissions, resilience, and affordability measures.

Calls for a separate utility-rate category for artificial intelligence and data centers under the Accountability of Costs for Data Centers Act to protect utility customers.

- Calls for replacing utility regulation based on service costs with performance-based rules tied to reducing carbon emissions, resilience, and affordability measures.
- Calls for a separate utility-rate category for artificial intelligence and data centers under the Accountability of Costs for Data Centers Act to protect utility customers.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Gregory Campus

- Your assembly member is involved in the legislative process at the state level as part of the New York State Assembly, which consists of 150 members and serves as the lower house of the New York State Legislature.  
- Assembly members are responsible for representing your interests and assisting you with navigating state services while bringing resources back to your district.  
- Assembly members draft laws, approve budgets, oversee the state executive branch, and engage in debates and votes on proposed legislation.  
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your assembly member can serve on committees, where many bills may be delayed before reaching a vote.  
- Assembly members are elected for a two-year term with no term limits.  
- Their annual salary is $142,000.  

Your representative and state lawmaker in the New York State Assembly.