The leftist Democrat’s radical and costly climate agenda was outed by NYSERDA’s recent memo. Utility bills will continue to rise if we don’t change course.  Common sense should drive our State’s energy policy, not climate activists who are damaging the quality of life and savings of New Yorkers,” said Senate Deputy Republican Leader Andrew Lanza.

Senate Republican Deputy Minority Leader Lanza, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and members of the Senate Republican Conference today were joined by Assemblymen Phil Palmesano, Scott Gray and members of the Assembly Conference at the Capitol for a press conference to highlight an explosive new memo from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) regarding the shockingly high costs of New York’s so-called “green energy” mandates on New Yorkers.  They also called on Democrats to repeal the statute requiring the state to implement a Cap-and-Invest program, a program the state now acknowledges could increase gasoline prices by as much as $2.23 per gallon and raise annual utility bills by up to $4,100 for upstate residents and $2,300 for residents in New York City.

 

Since Democrats passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) in 2019, Republicans have demanded answers about its cost, expressed concerns about its mandates

and questioned if its goals were realistic or achievable. Last week, it was disclosed that NYSERDA has issued findings that fundamentally agree with much of what Republicans have been saying for the past 7 years – that the Democrat’s Climate Law is unaffordable and failing to meet its own benchmarks.

 

“This conference has called for transparency and accounting of the true costs of the CLCPA for years. Now, thanks to a memo from NYSERDA, we finally know what we’ve been saying all along – New Yorkers simply cannot afford the Democrats’ green energy mandates. 

They continue to champion policies that they unequivocally know are driving up costs and making life less affordable. You can't just say affordability and wish it into existence when your policies are going to add $4,100 to people's bills and drive gas costs up to $5 or more at the pump. Democrats want to be California-we are on our way. New Yorkers need to understand-to get different policies they need different policy makers,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt. 

 

“The state’s energy authority has finally acknowledged what New Yorkers have felt and Republicans have said for years— Democrats’ green dreams are creating a nightmare for families and businesses across this state. It’s time for an immediate course correction. Republican proposals address this energy crisis from every angle: increasing production, ending mandates, strengthening supply and delivering real relief to overwhelmed ratepayers. We cannot protect the grid without protecting New Yorkers’ wallets,” said Assembly Republican Leader Ra.

 

“The recent NYSERDA memo confirms all that we have been saying for years and it is time for a new direction. The CLCPA and Cap-and-Invest are financially unsustainable for working families, seniors, and small businesses and they will cause our hardworking men and women of labor to lose their careers. A program that NYSERDA admits will drive gasoline prices up more than two dollars per gallon and raise annual energy bills by thousands of dollars is not a climate solution…it is an affordability crisis. We need commonsense energy policies that protect both our environment and our residents. As we have repeatedly said - it is time to repeal the entire CLCPA and to put New Yorkers first.  We need a plan - not a ban,” said Senator Mario R. Mattera, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunication Committee.

 

“The NYSERDA memo is damning for the Democrats’ costly green energy charade. For years, we have been saying that the CLCPA and its green energy mandates would do nothing but drive up costs for New York families and businesses and cause even more New Yorkers to leave the state. The recently released NYSERDA memo clearly confirms this. It is long past due to pump the brakes on the costly energy agenda, provide immediate and direct ratepayer relief and enact a true all-of-the-above energy plan that prioritizes energy affordability, reliability, feasibility, fuel diversity and energy choice,” said Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning).

 

“Today, we stand united against the impending economic catastrophe that the Cap-and-Invest program represents for our hard-working families and businesses. The NYSERDA memo is a stark warning: without immediate changes, New Yorkers are looking at skyrocketing energy costs that will cripple our communities. Imagine paying $5.25 a gallon for gas and household energy bills soaring by over $4,100 a year? That’s not just an inconvenience; it’s a disaster we cannot afford to ignore. This reckless policy, pushed by the Governor and her allies, will not only tax our wallets but drive businesses out of New York, leading to job losses and increased burden on our citizens. We must repeal the Cap-and-Invest program now,” said Senator Mark Walczyk, Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunication Committee.

 

“These sweeping energy mandates are driving costs higher at a time when families can least afford it. When people are using less power and still paying considerably more, that’s a sign the policy is broken,” Assemblyman Scott Gray (R–Watertown).

 

Cap and Invest is part of the Democrats’ CLCPA, a scam known for its so-called “green” mandates on ratepayers. Democrats’ ideological approach to energy issues in this state has caused the highest utility bills New Yorkers have ever seen. Republicans in both the Senate and Assembly are taking action now to provide relief by pushing to scrap the most damaging parts of the CLCPA, especially Cap and Invest.

 

Governor Hochul's New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released a memo outlining “likely costs of CLCPA compliance.” In the memo it reads, “The primary driver of these projected cost increases is the Cap-and-Invest program — “the greenhouse gas accounting approach incorporated in statute and regulation, in combination with current emission reduction targets, mean that current law attributes higher emissions to New York than other leading jurisdictions do for the same activity.”

 

According to NYSERDA Memo, absent changes, within five years:

• Gasoline prices could increase by $2.23 per gallon — on top of whatever market prices are at that time. At today’s prices, that would mean roughly $5.25 per gallon.
• Natural gas costs could increase by $16.96 per MMBtu.
• Upstate households using oil or natural gas could see energy costs increase by more than $4,100 per year.
• New York City households using natural gas could see annual gross costs rise by approximately $2,300.
• Utility costs for small and medium commercial businesses increase by up to 45% - these costs would be passed down to consumers
• Costs for operating a delivery truck would increase by over 60%.

In addition to the disastrous Cap and Invest program, the Senate Republican Conference has unanimously opposed other new energy costs and mandates within the CLCPA that have increased costs and decreased choices being forced under an extreme climate agenda that is unaffordable, unrealistic, and unattainable. 

 

“Since the passage of the Democrats' Climate and Energy Law, our electric grid has lost 2,000 MW of generation capacity and utility bills have shot up 54%. They tried this for seven years and spent billions of public dollars. It didn't work. The governor's own team at NYSERDA has admitted that it will get much, much worse. Democrats in the Legislature have a simple choice: work with us to repeal the law or slam their constituents with a  $330 increase on their monthly energy bills,” said Senator Jake Ashby, SD 43rd. 

 

“For seven years, Republicans have warned that the CLCPA would drive up costs for New Yorkers, and for seven years Democrats dismissed those concerns. Now their own agency is confirming what we have said all along: this law is unaffordable, failing on its own terms, and hardworking families are paying the price. NYSERDA’s projections are staggering—gasoline prices could jump by $2.23 per gallon, pushing prices above $5 at today’s rates, while upstate families could see energy costs rise by more than $4,000 a year. That is not a climate agenda; it is a financial disaster and could be the tipping point for many New Yorkers considering leaving the state. It is time to repeal Cap and ‘Invest’—better described as ‘Cap and Tax’—and the other costly climate mandates and start putting New Yorkers and commonsense first,” said Senator George Borrello, SD 57th.

 

“For years, we have been warning that the CLCPA’s mandates were detached from economic reality. Now NYSERDA’s own memo confirms it. Gas prices rising by more than $2 per gallon, utility bills increasing by thousands of dollars a year, and small businesses facing hikes of up to 45 percent is not an energy plan. It is a financial burden on working families. Cap and Invest must be repealed before it drives costs even higher and makes New York even less affordable,” said Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, SD 9th.

 

“Democrats in Albany want to dictate how we heat our homes, how we cook our food, and what kind of vehicle we can drive – enough is enough. If not now, faced with the prospect of rate hikes to the tune of $2,300 and gas over $5.50/gallon, then when?  New Yorkers are demanding true energy affordability and they deserve it. We have an opportunity to bring immediate relief to our constituents today and we can do so by repealing the cap and invest program,” said Senator Steve Chan, SD 17th.

 

“The NYSERDA memo quantifies what we have argued since the CLCPA was first proposed. The energy goals and mandates are unrealistic and unaffordable. New Yorkers already pay some of the highest energy bills in the country and cannot absorb these additional costs. It is time for the Legislature to repeal these mandates and develop an energy plan that is attainable and affordable for everyone,” said Senator Patrick Gallivan, SD 60th.

 

“New Yorkers need relief. They don't need policies that will create more challenges for them and make it more difficult to live here. As this memo from NYSERDA indicates, the CLCPA, championed by the Democratic majorities in the Legislature, would significantly increase costs on struggling residents, families and business owners. The majorities and the governor need to show New Yorkers that they are serious about making the state more affordable. Policies such as the CLCPA, which is full of unaffordable and unrealistic mandates, aren't helping matters,” said Senator Joseph Griffo, SD 53rd.

 

“This report doesn’t change my focus. It confirms it and sharpens it. I will continue working to repeal these costly mandates, ease the financial burden on the people paying the bills, and advance a realistic, reliable energy strategy that protects our environment without pricing New Yorkers out of their own state,” said Senator Pam Helming, Chair of the Republican Conference, SD 54th.

 

“From day one, we warned the CLCPA would significantly drive up costs for hardworking families and small businesses across New York. Now even the state’s own energy agency is admitting it. Thousands more in annual utility bills passed off as climate action is a real burden on New Yorkers. We urge the Governor and Democrats in Albany to roll back these costly mandates, reset expectations, and put affordability and common sense first,” said Senator Jack M. Martins, Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference, SD 7th.

 

“The NYSERDA memo confirms what many of us have been warning about for years; the cost of New York's "green energy" mandates will be devastating to residents and small businesses across the state. The CLCPA has been unrealistic from the start, and repeated requests for transparency about the cost of these initiatives have fallen on deaf ears. New Yorkers deserve better. Families are already struggling with some of the highest utility bills in the nation, and mandates like these move us further away from affordability, not closer to it,” said Senator Dean Murray, SD 3rd.

 

“The Kathy Hochul cost burden is forcing New Yorkers to flee in search of more affordable states. On her watch, New York has had the highest rate of out-migration of any other state in the nation. But for years, Senate Republicans have been providing alternative solutions to her radical agenda and we will not stop until everyday New Yorkers can afford to live here,” said Senator Peter Oberacker, SD 51st.

 

“It should be hitting home for every policymaker about just how unaffordable and devastating this state has become for everyday New Yorkers, largely due to decisions, policies, and agendas coming out of Albany. That's especially true when it comes to New York State's direction on energy policy. Many of us have been saying it for years now. The 'Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act' as it was set in motion by Albany Democrats seven years ago is not affordable, feasible, or reliable.  It has already delivered a heavy price tag for ratepayers and taxpayers, small businesses and manufacturers, school districts, farmers, and entire local economies. It is not achievable. It is not responsible or rational. It lacks critical foresight and common sense, and it unreasonably risks energy grid reliability and affordability. New Yorkers need relief from the CLCPA mandates now,” said Senator Tom O’Mara, SD 58th.

 

“Long Islanders are struggling with high utility bills and without meaningful changes, families could face gasoline prices exceeding five dollars per gallon and thousands of dollars more each year to heat their homes. This is unacceptable. Long Islanders need relief now. We must focus on developing a diversified energy portfolio that keeps affordable energy options accessible across the state and helps drive down costs,” said Senator Anthony Palumbo, SD 1st.

 

“This bombshell NYSERDA memo confirms that Governor Hochul and Albany Democrats have lied and are continuing to lie to every New Yorker.  Even NYSERDA can no longer hide the common sense truth every one of us has felt in our utility bills and our wallets.  NYSERDA is telling New Yorkers that it will only get worse - much worse. Democrats’ radical energy agenda is dangerous, infeasible and will cost every New Yorker family thousands of dollars a year in higher gasoline and home energy costs with fewer energy options. Our Senate Republican Conference has proposed immediate solutions to put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, cut unnecessary fees, and bring real transparency to energy pricing. We’re fighting for a balanced energy approach that fuels reliability, sparks affordability, and finally puts New Yorkers first.,” said Senator Steven Rhoads, SD 5th.

 

“The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act is driving up costs on Hudson Valley families and businesses. We hear every day from residents facing unsustainable utility bills. To create immediate relief, I introduced Senate Bill S8463 to create a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday and a two-year green energy tax holiday. We can pursue environmental progress, but it must be grounded in fiscal responsibility for the Hudson Valley,” said Senator Rob Rolison, SD 39th.

 

“The NYSERDA memo highlighted what my Senate Republican colleagues and I have said for years: the CLCPA’s timelines are unrealistic and its costs are unaffordable. Now more than ever, it’s vital that we return money to ratepayers, end these failing mandates and work towards a more comprehensive, affordable energy strategy,” said Senator Dan Stec, SD 45th. 

 

“New Yorkers already pay some of the highest energy costs in the nation to heat their homes and fill-up their gas tanks.  When the Governor’s own energy experts say the mandates in the CLCPA will increase utility bills up to $4,100 for Upstate residents and add as much as $2.23 per gallon, it’s clear New Yorkers cannot afford the outrageous and costly mandates in this boondoggle of a law. It’s time to repeal these mandates,” said Senator Jim Tedisco, SD 44th.

 

“New York’s working-class families are already struggling with the rising cost of living, and Albany’s misguided energy policies are only making things worse. NYSERDA's memo reveals that households could face energy cost increases of more than $4,000 a year, while gasoline prices could climb well above $5 per gallon. That is simply unacceptable. We must overhaul the state’s energy policies and end costly mandates like the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). New York needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes affordability, reliability, and common sense to bring costs down for hardworking families,” said Senator Bill Weber, SD 38th.