UNITED STATES
                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                      Washington, D.C. 20549


                             FORM 8-K


                          CURRENT REPORT




              Pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d)
              of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934





                  Date of Report - June 14, 2004



              CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION
             ------------------------------------------
       (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



NEW YORK                      1-3268                                14-0555980
-----------------        -------------------                     -------------
State or other        (Commission File Number)                   (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                                                 Identification
incorporation)                                                         Number)

284 South Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York                          12601-4879
----------------------------------------                      ----------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                            (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code (845) 452-2000






Item 5            Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure.
------            ------------------------------------------

Reference  is  made to Note 2 -  Regulatory  Matters  under  the  caption  "Rate
Proceedings - Electric and Natural Gas" to the Consolidated Financial Statements
included  in the  Corporation's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year  ended
December  31, 2003 and to Item 2 under the caption  "Regulatory  Matters" of the
Corporation's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2004
for information with respect to the  Corporation's  rate proposal filed with the
New York State Public Service Commission (the "PSC").

On June 14, 2004, the PSC issued an Order adopting the terms of a Joint Proposal
for Rate Plan Modification  ("Joint  Proposal")  submitted March 29, 2004 by the
Company,  the Staff of the  Department  of Public  Service  and  certain  energy
service  companies.  The Joint  Proposal was developed in response to Commission
Orders  concerning  future uses of the  Customer  Benefit  Fund,  Public  Policy
Programs and other matters relating to the encouragement and expansion of retail
access  and  customer  choice  programs.  The  significant  terms  of the  Joint
Proposal,  which will become effective July 1, 2004, include: i. continuation of
the rate levels,  rate designs,  and related  accounting  provisions  (including
deferrals) previously  established by the PSC in July 2001; ii. an additional $5
million  refund from the Customer  Benefit Fund for certain  classes of electric
customers;  iii.  continued  funding  from the  Customer  Benefit Fund for other
purposes such as economic  development and retail access rate credits previously
approved by the PSC; iv.  enhanced  programs to promote retail  competition  and
service  quality;  v. recovery,  subject to specified  limitations,  of deferred
pension and Other  Post-Employment  Benefit costs from the Benefit Customer Fund
and vi. a lowering of the threshold for sharing of earnings with customers (from
an 11.3 % to a 10.5% return on equity);  vii.  modifies earnings sharing so that
earnings above 10.5% and up to 11.3% will be shared 70%/30%  between the Company
and  ratepayers;  earnings  above  11.3% and up to 14.0% will be shared  65%/35%
between the Company and ratepayers.






                                  SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                    CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION
                                                  (Registrant)


                                       By:      /s/  Donna S. Doyle
                                           ------------------------------
                                                     DONNA S. DOYLE
                                      Vice President - Accounting and Controller

Dated:    June 18, 2004