To make NY more affordable, Gov. Hochul needs to ditch her all-electric plan and push natural gas
Her 2023 All-Electric Buildings Act bans natural-gas hookups in new buildings that are seven stories or less — meaning no gas stoves, hot-water heaters, furnaces, or any other gas appliances are allowed, starting in 2029.
This is a serious blow to freedom, common sense, and the future of the Empire State.
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It's even worse considering the state of New York's electric grid.
Energy prices are roughly 33% higher than the national average. A 2023 study by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission warned New York's grid is on the brink of collapse, and it's only luck that has kept the state from total catastrophe and loss of life.
If such a damning FERC study were released by the Biden administration, one can only speculate how much worse the reality could be.
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Meanwhile, there's no reason to push people off natural gas. In fact, most of the world is desperate for more of it, not less.
Germany just committed to a three-year purchase of US gas. Japan invested $44 billion in a natural-gas pipeline in Alaska.
A few days ago, President Donald Trump announced a $750 billion deal for American energy, including natural gas, with the European Union.
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New York seems alone in rejecting the economic benefits and the scientific evidence. So much for 'trust the science.'
In addition to the strain put on the grid by forgoing reliable, affordable natural gas and mandating electric appliances and machinery, New York continues to entice the construction of power-grabbing data centers.
Recently, it offered half a billion dollars in taxpayer-provided subsidies to lure a new data center in Genesee that'll consume 250 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 100,000 homes.
Hochul's all-electric plan represents two big punches to the face: First, it makes already expensive New York even more costly.
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Second, it makes an already vulnerable electric grid even more precarious by demanding more from it.
Like the mathematical certainty of the sinking of the Titanic, New York's electric grid, under Hochul's 'leadership,' is headed for collapse. Not if, but when.
Yet easy fixes can relieve the strain on the grid and lower costs — and provide political boons for the governor ahead of her reelection run next year.
First, delay the all-electric plan. Encourage natural gas for new construction instead. The more appliances like hot water heaters and stoves that run on natural gas, the less the strain on the grid.
Second, fast-track construction of the Constitution Pipeline. This project will bring natural gas from Pennsylvania into upstate New York and New England, and offer a reliable, affordable energy source to millions.
Yes, environmental groups will holler, but most voters will back the governor when they see their utility hikes simmering down.
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Third, reopen the Indian Point nuclear-power plant, the 3,200-megawatt facility unwisely closed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021.
This facility is now being decommissioned, a process that'll last more than 30 years. But getting it back online — as massive a project as that might be — is certainly faster and cheaper than the governor's plan to build new nuclear facilities.
Energy is everything, and sound energy policy will not just make the state more affordable and livable, and the grid more reliable; it'll make Hochul more electable.
Like the grid, her political standing is precarious. More than half (53%) of New Yorkers oppose Hochul's gas ban. Even among fellow Democrats, less than half (48%) believe the state is moving in the right direction.
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New York's path to a better energy future, greater economic development, lower costs for residents and a more secure grid is clear.
The first step is stopping this illogical ban on natural gas.
Does Hochul have the political will and savvy to pull it off?
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Daniel Turner is the founder and executive director of Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs.
Email: daniel@powerthefuture.com
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