Senator Mario R. Mattera (2nd Senate District), Ranking Member on the New York State Senate Energy Committee joined Leader Rob Ortt and members of the 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.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE

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 the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) was passed in 2019, members in both conferences 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 the Assembly and Senate Conferences have been saying for the past 7 years – the CLCPA is unaffordable.

“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.

“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 Leader 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 Ed Ra.

“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 (116th Assembly District), the Ranking Member on the Assembly Energy Committee.

Cap and Invest is part of the CLCPA, a scam known for its so-called “green” mandates on ratepayers. This ideological approach to energy issues in this state has caused the highest utility bills New Yorkers have ever seen. Legislators 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 substantial 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 Conferences have 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. 

“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 (9th Senate District).

“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 (7th Senate District).

“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 (3rd Senate District).

“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 (1st Senate District).

“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.

Please click here to read the full NYSERDA memo.