Kathy Hochul

With prices continuing to rise at the gas pumps — up to $3.60 per gallon in numerous locations in Chautauqua County — Gov. Kathy Hochul is starting to feel the heat when it comes to high energy prices. During a stop in Tonawanda on Monday, Hochul said she is ready to revisit another costly effort — New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

During a press conference to highlight rising gas prices, Hochul called on the State Legislature to work with her to make changes to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which was enacted in 2019 under the previous State administration. While the CLCPA, also known as the Climate Act, is not the primary driver of the current high utility rates, not changing the law will make an already bad situation significantly worse.

“President Trump promised to lower energy prices, but instead, he and his administration have driven up costs for New Yorkers with illegal tariffs — and now they’re driving up gas prices with the War in Iran,” Hochul said Monday. “As Republicans in Congress ignore these gas price hikes, I’ll keep working to tackle rising energy costs by protecting consumers, holding utility companies accountable and building more of the energy sources our state needs.”

According to a NYSERDA analysis, implementing the CLCPA on its current timeline will increase annual household energy bills by an additional $4,000 for upstate oil and natural gas households and $2,300 for NYC natural gas households by 2031. Implementing the CLCPA could also add $2.39 to gas prices — on top of whatever the price is by that time. Businesses will also be impacted, with the potential for their energy prices to increase 46 percent.

Hochul said she remains committed to clean energy and decarbonization goals. But she noted much has changed since 2019, when the Climate Act was signed into law by her predecessor, which has made it virtually impossible to meet the law’s 2030 targets, including post-COVID inflation, supply chain issues and a Republican-controlled Congress that has launched an all-out assault on renewable energy.

Within the last month, state Republicans have clamored for relief regarding high energy costs.

“From blackouts to bloated heating bills, a harsh reality has set in New York’s energy consumers. While Democrats have signaled little concern or willingness to address skyrocketing costs, Assembly Republicans refuse to sit idle while people are forced to decide between heating their homes or feeding their families,” said Assembly Republican Leader Ed Ra. “Our (“Lights On With Energy Relief — LOWER) Plan looks to tackle the current crisis head on, by getting immediate relief into the hands of New Yorkers and facilitating improved power generation to meet growing demand.”