The increase in Lyons’ pay—over 7% from the previous year—includes nearly $280,000 categorized as “other pay,” which covers a variety of incentives such as housing allowances and contributions to the utility’s “Relift Plan,” according to filings with the Public Services Bureau.

But it wasn’t just Lyons seeing a pay increase. Other executives at PSE&G Long Island received significant salary bumps and bonuses. The company reported meeting 31 out of 61 performance metrics associated with annual bonuses, yet still fell short in areas like customer satisfaction and storm preparedness.

Some missed benchmarks included serious injury rates and vegetation management, which plays a vital role in preventing outages caused by falling trees and branches.

State inspectors have also launched an investigation into PSE&G and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), which pays the company nearly $80 million annually for grid operations. Reports indicate that investigators are examining whether lobbyists or political figures could influence internal decisions on future grid management.

This investigation has been underway for over a month, coinciding with a turbulent period at LIPA that saw senior officials resign or get replaced, following board appointments made by Governor Kathy Hochul.

Among those who resigned was Drew Beondo, a longtime trustee, who expressed concerns about the board’s conduct in his resignation letter, highlighting issues involving a PSE&G lobbyist.

PSE&G has denied any allegations of lobbying or corruption, while LIPA has not provided any comments on the situation.