New Yorkers for Affordable Energy Responds to Governor’s State of the State Address
The following statement can be attributed to NYAE Executive Director Daniel Ortega:
“New Yorkers for Affordable Energy is encouraged by Governor Hochul’s focus on the affordability crisis as her primary concern for the upcoming budget and legislative session.
The first step in addressing any issue is acknowledging its existence, and today’s speech, along with the Governor’s other public statements, have made it clear that she recognizes the problem. The next step is to create a comprehensive, long-term plan to solve it. Working families across New York are grappling with rising costs—from groceries to transportation, healthcare to energy bills. A crisis of this scale requires a systemic solution.
Our organization is committed to protecting energy choice and freedom for consumers while advocating for affordability and a reliable energy system. New York is fortunate to have a diverse range of energy sources, from hydropower to natural gas, biomass to biofuels, and everything in between. This diversity helps shield our citizens from cost volatility and protects against energy shortages and blackouts.
Unfortunately, up until now, the Governor has favored mandates that promote the most expensive and least productive energy sources, heavily favored by climate activists, while passing the cost on to middle-class New Yorkers. Thankfully, we are beginning to see a shift in direction.
We are grateful that the Governor has decided to delay the implementation of her costly cap-and-invest scheme. Billions of dollars in increased costs have already been added to energy bills through a series of green mandates, including the flawed Climate and Community Leadership and Protection Act (CLCPA). Over the years, we have called for common-sense, affordable energy policies from Albany. While our concerns were often dismissed, we continued to advocate for sensible policies that everyday New Yorkers can support.
As we approach the 2025 session, NYAE’s mission remains unchanged—to stand up for the forgotten and often neglected New York ratepayer, and to continue pushing back against ideological extremists with facts. We look forward to being a part of the ongoing discussion and helping to increase the commonsense quotient in the halls of the State Capitol.”
About NYAE: New Yorkers for Affordable Energy is the state’s leading coalition of business and labor groups, advocating for energy diversity, lower costs, and the protection of jobs in the energy sector. For more information, visit ny4affordableenergy.com.