By Will Barclay
New York is already one of the least affordable states in the U.S., and there are few indications the trend will reverse. The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) recently approved a phased-in rate hike for many upstate customers, and additional utility companies have asked for hikes of their own in the coming months. A significant portion of the revenue generated from rate increases will be needed to meet the enormous financial demands of electrification as required by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The CLCPA demands New York stop using fossil fuel-based electricity production by 2040. Essentially, the law calls for billions and billions of dollars in startup costs over the next 15 years to overhaul our energy grid, and when we are done, New York will have a gap in energy production roughly the size of what it takes to power our state today. There is little wonder what’s driving up your utility bill: green energy-obsessed Democrats who either don’t understand or don’t care how unfeasible this plan is.
There are few concepts more universally accepted in public policy than the need to invest in infrastructure upgrades. The Assembly Minority Conference has led the charge for greater investments in our roads and bridges — something New York dramatically needs to keep pace with other cities around the nation and world — and energy infrastructure is no different. Unfortunately, we are about to inject billions of dollars’ worth of your hard-earned money into an energy grid that doesn’t work. That’s not an investment; it’s a waste of money.
New Yorkers already struggling with a sky-high cost of living have no shortage of culprits to point to when evaluating their own budgets. Taxes in our state have been prohibitively high for far too long, and the cost of goods and services remains a major concern for families trying to make ends meet. The last thing we need in New York is another inflated expense, and utility costs are fast becoming a major issue for families already stretched thin by an imperfect storm of high taxes and inflation.
If New York State is going to be a business, tourism and recreational destination on par with the rest of the world, it will require a commitment to a reliable, affordable and diversified energy grid. The current path we are on offers none of those. As we continue to unpack the obscene demands of the CLCPA, I hope more of my colleagues see just how detrimental it will be to New Yorkers. Until it is replaced, we are going to suffer needless hike after hike down an endless financial spiral of waste.
Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) is the Assembly Minority Leader.