NEW YORK —The New York Energy Democracy Alliance (NYEDA) is sounding the alarm: efforts are underway to weaken the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) through the state budget process.
We have a real problem on our hands. New Yorkers are being told that climate action is driving up their energy bills, but this is not true. What’s really driving high costs is the dependence on aging gas infrastructure, which is propped up by billions in public dollars.
Instead of prioritizing cleaner and cheaper energy, policymakers are proposing to claw back affordability programs while continuing to subsidize fossil fuels and nuclear power.
This approach doesn’t lower bills. It protects the industries that helped create the affordability crisis in the first place.
“New Yorkers are being told climate action is driving up their energy bills, but that narrative ignores the real cause,” said Amber Johnson, Organizing Director for the New York Energy Democracy Alliance. “The real problem is billions of dollars spent maintaining outdated fossil fuel infrastructure while delaying the renewable energy solutions that actually lower costs.”
New Yorkers already spend tens of billions subsidizing nuclear power and fossil fuels. Rebranding those investments as “clean energy” while weakening the CLCPA through the budget process would only slow the transition to real renewable energy.
“The Hochul Administration is trying to gut New York’s landmark climate law to enrich fossil fuel executives, all while blaming rising energy bills on climate action,” said Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project. “If affordability mattered, the Governor would stop funding costly fracked gas projects and invest in public renewables. New Yorkers deserve transparency, real solutions, and a clean energy future, not more fossil fuel spending that deepens the climate and affordability crises.“
If affordability were truly the priority, New York would accelerate the transition to renewable energy, protect programs that lower household energy costs, and stop expanding expensive fossil fuel infrastructure that locks communities into higher bills for decades.
Instead, lawmakers are proposing to spend $33 billion on new nuclear reactors to generate electricity in one of the most expensive ways.
“Long Islanders are facing skyrocketing energy costs. We need fast, clean, affordable renewable energy built today,” said Joe Sackman, Executive Director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition. “Governor Hochul seems more interested in helping her donors’ fossil fuel investment portfolios with this disastrous decision to undermine the CLCPA. If we want to protect Long Island for future generations, we need to leave behind outdated fossil fuel infrastructure and build our future with green jobs and renewable energy.”
If affordability were truly the goal, state leaders would also pause massive new electricity demands from data center development until renewable energy generation and transmission can meet the needs of existing ratepayers.
The truth is simple: renewable energy lowers our bills, keeps the lights on, and puts communities in control.
“For years, the gas and nuclear industries have been attacking our climate law because they know the truth – that technologies like distributed solar, renewables paired with storage, thermal energy networks, and energy efficiency are energy affordability solutions, and will threaten their profit margins,” said Avni Pravin-Buck of Alliance for a Green Economy. “We need the Governor and the legislature to stand up to profiteering industries and implement real solutions for their constituents.”
Renewable energy creates local jobs, stabilizes long-term energy costs, and reduces the pollution that harms our communities. Emerging solutions like thermal energy networks can also allow utilities to transition away from fossil fuels while providing affordable heating and cooling.
“We need our representatives in Albany to stop ignoring the public health and environmental crises that Rust Belt communities like Buffalo-Niagara have faced for generations,” said Bridge Rauch of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. “Instead, they should work with communities and organized labor to fully implement the CLCPA and build a just transition.”
Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers must reject attempts to weaken the CLCPA and instead commit to the solutions that will truly address the affordability crisis: renewable energy, community control, and a just transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear reactors.
“As a cooperative owner and member of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board Co-ops Go Solar Climate Action Network, I’ve seen firsthand how much our building has benefited from the CLCPA,” said Chauncy Young. “We urge the Governor and legislative leaders to stand strong against the national pushback on renewable energy and continue investing in the communities that need it most.”
“With utility bills skyrocketing, the last thing New York needs is expensive and unnecessary spending on expensive methane gas infrastructure, AI data centers and nuclear power development, said Adam Flint, Director of Clean Energy Programs at the Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” Providing universal access to residential energy efficiency and solar, as mandated by the CLCPA. are proven ways to save money while making homes safer and more comfortable. Governor Hochul and State legislators must abide by New York’s climate law and properly fund it.”
“New York has an opportunity to create countless meaningful jobs by investing in local renewable energy projects and supporting the many small businesses across the state in renewable energy industries,” said Bob Rossi of the New York Sustainable Business Council. “The return on this investment is profound. Our taxes should not subsidize a declining fossil fuel industry and its multi-national corporations. New York State must uphold the CLCPA and support New Yorkers and New York businesses.”
New Yorkers deserve an energy system that works for them, not one designed to protect fossil fuel profits.
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