Ahead of today’s public hearing in Rochester, Senator Walczyk joined Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt to criticize the updated draft energy plan proposal by the New York State Energy Planning Board and urged New Yorkers to make their voices heard during the open comment period. It is particularly concerning that the voices of residents from regions such as Central New York, the North Country, the Adirondacks, and the Mohawk Valley have been silenced, as there are no public hearings scheduled in these areas.

“Democratic leadership is causing New Yorkers to face higher energy bills. It’s expensive, and the lack of hearings in our regions means that we are being silenced. Why is the Governor afraid of the people in these parts of the state? Why doesn’t she want a public hearing?” asked Senator Walczyk.

Thanks to the Democrats in power, New Yorkers are already paying some of the highest energy bills in the nation—more than 50% higher than the national average. Those same Democrats remain adamant about dismantling and destabilizing the State’s power grid by continuing to force their green energy schemes onto taxpayers.

"If you go back to 2019, we’ve taken more energy production offline in New York than we’ve brought online. Look at the simple supply and demand: as you are demanding the electrification of everything, businesses will need more electricity in New York. The natural demand for electricity continues to rise for consumers and business owners. The demand for supply keeps increasing, but the supply of electrons is dwindling. Virtue signaling does not produce an electron in the state of New York, and it doesn’t help your electric bill. Instead of repowering facilities and increasing the supply in the grid of New York, the Governor is doubling down on this disastrous draft energy plan, expecting New Yorkers to pay for it,” Senator Walczyk continued.

Leader Ortt echoed Senator Walczyk's sentiments, stating, “Under Albany Democrats’ energy plan, New Yorkers pay more and get less. New Yorkers are already squeezed by higher prices for everything from groceries to gas. Now Democrats want to pile on by raising utility bills, eliminating energy choices, and jeopardizing grid reliability. This plan hurts working families and kills jobs, and we will fight it every step of the way.”

“This latest proposal from Albany is a direct assault on the wallets of New Yorkers. We’re grappling with energy costs that are a staggering 40% higher than those in Pennsylvania, and yet the Democrats want to push us further along a path of unsustainable energy practices. The cold hard truth is that the state will require a jaw-dropping 111 to 124 gigawatts of power by 2040 to meet their unrealistic mandates under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This means we need a generation capacity that’s three times what we have today. Instead of embracing reliable sources like natural gas and nuclear, this plan dangerously relies on intermittent wind and solar that consistently fail to deliver when we need it most. It’s easy to point the finger at the utilities—that's what the Governor loves to do. Let’s blame the Public Service Commission; let’s blame the greedy utility companies. The bottom line is, there is only one finger to point in New York State, and that is at the Governor for her failed plans and continued failure in her draft energy policy. New Yorkers deserve affordable energy choices, not a costly green agenda that leaves us in the dark. We will fight back and demand a future that prioritizes our families’ needs and keeps the lights on,” concluded Walczyk.