Energy costs are key to an affordability agenda

As the Legislature tackles the state budget, lawmakers are focusing on affordability issues facing New Yorkers, from the cost of housing and food to insurance and energy. The need for solutions is acute as costs for families continue to rise. Governor Hochul has outlined some common-sense solutions, but it will be up to state legislators to make them happen.

Escalating energy costs are particularly concerning because electricity rates have increased 36% for many New Yorkers over the past three years and more increases are coming. The reasons are simple: demand continues to increase and the cost of producing or importing electricity increases with it. The impact is real: New York City Council records show that more people are now seeking help to pay their utility bills than to put food on the table.

The governor wants to help those who are struggling the most, proposing $30 million to help people pay their utility bills. This will help those who are eligible for aid, but will not help working families who are not yet eligible to continue to feel the consequences of escalating costs. These New Yorkers – the working middle class – need solutions.

These solutions must include adopting an “all of the above” energy approach: renewables, nuclear, other zero-emission sources and natural gas. New York State needs to increase its energy production so it can meet its own demand and ensure the energy we produce is affordable. This means taking a fresh look at the ambitious roadmap set by lawmakers for a cleaner energy future. Not only to help working families, but also to support economic growth.

New York has imported electricity from other states for decades. But while it made economic sense in the past, the cost of imported energy has skyrocketed as other states retain more of that energy to fuel their economic growth. The opportunities created by AI, along with electric vehicles and other factors, are making energy an increasingly valuable commodity.

President Trump didn’t help. Offshore wind is expensive despite the governor’s leadership on the issue, but Trump’s war on offshore wind and his tariffs have only made offshore wind even more difficult. We need renewable energy for our future, but that future is further away than many want to admit.

The governor’s proposed nuclear power plant for the Upstate is a critical part of the long-term solution, and his support for a new natural gas pipeline will allow New York to introduce more affordable natural gas to help consumers heat their homes and cook more affordably. But encouraging more energy production – by repowering plants, for example – requires an honest debate about the path to a cleaner future. Lawmakers’ goal of achieving a cleaner future by 2040, with real milestones by 2030, is unrealistic and will punish working families with ever-increasing costs.

This is no easy task in an election year where “environmentalism” may triumph over the financial impact on working families. Natural gas is demonized, but it is responsible for reducing emissions across the state. Businesses, churches and families who switched from oil to gas heating not only saved money, but also reduced their emissions.

If we want to solve the affordability crisis, it’s time to start having tough conversations. It’s time to reevaluate some of the decisions we’ve made and take a more pragmatic path toward a cleaner energy future. This must be a path we can all afford.

Duffy is a former lieutenant governor of New York. Diaz is a former Bronx borough president. They are co-chairs of Natural Allies, a coalition supporting an “all of the above” approach to energy production.