Senator Mario Mattera (2nd Senate District), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunication Committee, along with Senators Tom O’Mara (58th Senate District) and Mark Walczyk (49th Senate District) have penned a letter urging Governor Kathy Hochul to reconvene the Climate Action Council to take up for review the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and issue a report after 30 days outlining policies that can be submitted to the legislature in time to be acted upon before the end of session.

“Since the passage of the CLCPA, electricity prices are up over 50% here in New York. This is not a coincidence. The mandates placed on utility companies have been borne by ratepayers, as was acknowledged in last year’s budget hearing by the Chair of the Public Service Commission, Rory Christian. These costs have become unbearable for our residents. State policy has driven up energy bills to the point where people are being forced to choose between keeping the lights on and affording everything else. It is time for the Council to reconvene and amend the CLCPA to account for economic realities,” the letter reads.

“As we saw during the debate on the wasteful and bloated budget proposal, our colleagues are unwilling to provide ratepayers any relief.  That inaction means that it is up to Governor Hochul to act by reconvening the Climate Action Council together to closely examine the damage the CLCPA is causing for our residents and come up with a realistic plan that protects our families, businesses, workers and environment.  While I still believe repealing the illogical CLCPA is the best solution, reconvening the Climate Action Council would at the very least allow a full review of the unfunded mandates, examine the real costs being imposed on ratepayers and ensure that our energy policies are both environmentally responsible and economically sustainable.  Then - and only then - can we come up with a commonsense plan that is based on reality not ideology.  New Yorkers support clean energy but we need a logical plan not an ideologic ban,” said Senator Mattera.

“Since the CLCPA’s approval in 2019, Albany Democrats have been desperately trying to inflict a zero-emissions economy on this entire state that will have zero impact on the climate. These actions are delivering a heavy price tag that will only get heavier as time goes on for ratepayers. The consequences for ratepayers and taxpayers, small businesses and manufacturers, school districts, farmers, and entire local economies will continue to be devastating. It has become clear that the current strategy is not realistic or achievable. It's not responsible or rational. There was no cost-benefit analysis. It unreasonably risks energy grid reliability and affordability. New Yorkers need relief now and that includes immediately reconvening the Climate Action Council to start moving in a different direction with greater foresight and common sense. Our conference continues to promote these actions to deliver much-needed relief to overburdened ratepayers and to put forth a clean energy strategy that is focused on affordability, feasibility, and reliability,” said Senator O’Mara.

“Governor Hochul, it's time to stop ignoring the stark reality facing New Yorkers under the CLCPA. Since this flawed legislation passed, electricity prices have surged over 50%, forcing families to choose between keeping the lights on and managing their monthly expenses. A staggering 1.4 million customers were already 60 days behind on their energy bills as of December 2025, and one in eight residential customers were in arrears. This is not just a statistic; it's an all-too-real crisis. The mandates imposed by this law are pushing hardworking families to their breaking point. New Yorkers can't afford what's already been done, and they are now being asked to do more. The Climate Action Council must be reconvened to make the necessary amendments to this burdensome law, enabling us to strike a balance between our environmental goals and the economic realities our citizens face daily. It’s time we prioritize the people of New York over an out-of-touch green mandate,” Senator Walczyk.

The Climate Action Council is a 22-member body appointed by the Governor, both houses of the Senate and Assembly. The Climate Action Council approved a Scoping Plan in December 2022 by a vote of 19-3 that was intended to serve as the “roadmap” also known as the “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” for cleaner energy and climate goals.

Democrats who championed the CLCPA never had a financial impact statement for the bill when it passed until now. Governor Hochul's New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released a memo outlining  the“likely costs of CLCPA compliance.” In the memo it reads, “Absent changes, by 2031, the impact of CLCPA on the price of gasoline could reach or exceed $2.23/gallon on top of current prices at that time; the cost for an MMBtu of natural gas $16.96; and comparable increases to other fuels. Upstate oil and natural gas households would see costs in excess of $4,000 a year and New York City natural gas households could anticipate annual gross costs of $2,300. Only a portion of these costs could be offset by current policy design.” 

Senator Mattera and his fellow senators have been pushing for energy policies that put an end to out-of-touch green mandates. To date New York State Senate Republicans have put forward solutions to their colleagues to join in protecting our residents and provide real impact to taxpayers that will provide affordability, reliability and ensuring their hard-earned money stays in their pockets.

“I hate to say we told you so, but we have been warning about this for the past five years. We know that the CLCPA is driving up utility bills for our residents, and I have repeatedly called on Albany to provide New York State ratepayers with much-needed relief. Instead, majority members have brushed it off as simply the ‘cost of doing business.’ That is unacceptable and it is time for Governor Hochul to step in and protect all New Yorkers,” concluded Senator Mattera.