Energy plan and policies must ensure energy affordability, reliability, feasibility, safety, choice and fuel diversity
Column/Op-Ed by Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning)
As you may have seen recently, I have embarked on a statewide energy tour, joining with my Assembly and Senate Republican colleagues at all locations across the state where the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is holding public hearings on the state’s proposed energy plan. The goal of this tour is simple: to make the public aware that Gov. Hochul and Democrats in the Legislature are pushing policies that will continue to increase utility rates for New York families and businesses. The fact of the matter is the policies they continue to advance are designed to dismantle the affordable and reliable natural gas infrastructure, supply and delivery system. This, despite the fact that 60% of New Yorkers heat their homes with natural gas, and 40% of our generation comes from natural gas. Their policies are designed to take away consumer choice on how you heat your home, cook your food, power your buildings and the vehicle you drive. Their policies will jeopardize the reliability of the grid, leading to dangerous and deadly blackouts and will continue our nation-leading outmigration crisis of more families, farmers, small businesses and manufacturers leaving our state. The governor and Democrats in Albany are on mission to fully electrify our state’s energy grid with no concern for energy affordability, reliability, feasibility, safety, energy choice or fuel diversity.
NYSERDA also needs to expand its hearings to include Central New York, the North Country and the Southern Tier. Currently, in-person hearings are only being held in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island, along with three virtual hearings. It is completely unacceptable and unfair that the citizens and businesses of Central New York, the North Country and the Southern Tier do not get an opportunity to voice their input and concerns at an in-person hearing. Therefore, we have called on NYSERDA to schedule in-person public hearings at these three locations, as well as grant an extension of the public comment period by 90 additional days until January 4, 2026, so a more thorough process can be achieved. Given the far-reaching impact of our state’s draft energy plan, coupled with the radical energy/climate policies being advanced in Albany, it is critically important more time be granted for New York families and businesses to weigh in on our state’s energy future.
The state’s draft energy plan says we need an “all of the above” approach to our energy plan, including the use of natural gas, nuclear and fuel diversity. Unfortunately, the policies being pushed and advanced in Albany don’t match the words. Gov. Hochul and the Albany Democrat-controlled Legislature continue to side with far-left Green New Deal advocates instead of siding with everyday New Yorkers. Families and businesses across the state have already seen their energy bills sky-rocket while utilities continue to call for even higher rates because of the Democrats’ green energy mandates, with more to come. In fact, in July of 2023, the PSC approved $43B in future ratepayer increases to pay for green energy mandates. The comptroller and others have estimated these green energy mandates will cost more than a quarter-of-a-trillion dollars.
Some of these costly policies include the following. First, you have the CLCPA (New York Green New Deal), which requires net-zero generation by 2040 regardless of the costs, feasibility or how it jeopardizes energy reliability for families and businesses. In addition, the All- Electric Buildings Act will deny new home construction as of January 2026 the ability to use natural gas or propane and be fully electrified. Then there is the mother of all unfunded mandates, the Electric School Bus Mandate, which is as much as three times more expensive than a near-zero emission-free diesel school bus, which is estimated by the Empire Center to increase replacement costs by as much as $15 billion for school property taxpayers, not to mention the billions of dollars in charging infrastructure and energy grid upgrades. New York is requiring school districts to convert their entire bus fleets to electric by 2035, a full five years before the state is required to convert its fleet. In what world does this make any sense? Why should school districts be the guinea pig for this social experiment? There is Cap and Invest (or Tax), which is estimated to increase gas prices at the pump by 62 cents per gallon and natural gas home heating by 80%, according to former DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. The new electric vehicle purchase requirements, including the Advanced Clean Truck Rule and Advanced Clean Car II rule that mandate electric vehicle and truck purchases regardless of the lack of infrastructure in place, range issues, costs or preferred choice of New Yorkers, just to name a few. In addition, for perspective, the residential electricity rate for New Yorkers in 2019 was 17 cents/kw hr. Today, it is 25 cents/kw hr. or 40% higher than the national average. This is completely unsustainable for New York families and businesses.
To make matters even worse, this plan will barely impact global emissions. New York is already one of the cleanest energy producers in the world; in fact, we contribute just 0.4% of global emissions while China contributes 30%, has 1,000 coal plants and is building more every week. We could literally cut our emissions to zero and have no effect on worldwide global emissions. All this shows that Gov. Hochul is more worried about looking good to her far-left base ahead of next year’s gubernatorial election rather than doing the right thing to advance policies that actually protect ratepayers while ensuring an energy plan that is affordable, reliable, feasible, safe and protects fuel diversity and energy choice. That is what New Yorkers want.
In fact, there was a poll this past summer where 71% of New Yorkers strongly indicated they did NOT want a ban on natural gas, including 76% of independents. In addition, 66% of New Yorkers indicated they want a balance between renewable energy resources and natural gas, including 74% of Democrats. The decision is clear. New Yorkers want energy choice and the use of natural gas to cook and heat their homes.
It’s long past time for Gov. Hochul and Democrats in Albany to finally listen to New York families and businesses when it comes to our state’s energy plan and policies instead of virtue signaling for votes.
Assemblyman Palmesano represents the 132nd District, which includes Schuyler County, Yates County and Parts of Chemung County, Seneca County and Steuben County. He is the ranking member on the Assembly Energy Committee, a role he has held since 2013. For more information about Assemblyman Palmesano, please follow him on Facebook.
