Governor Kathy Hochul visited a gas station on Niagara Falls Boulevard on Monday in the Town of Tonawanda, where the pumps displayed prices about 60 cents higher than two weeks ago. Escalations in Iran have ratcheted up costs for both gasoline and utilities, which are having an effect on not just motorists, but also households and small businesses. In addition to gasoline, Hochul said diesel prices have gone up 28 percent and home heating and utility bills have seen a 3 percent spike in recent weeks.
“Energy prices are too damn high, utility costs are too damn high, and hardworking people like the ones in these great communities are the ones footing the bills for chaos they did not create,” Hochul said.
To address rising energy costs, she cited the Ratepayer Protection Plan from January, which includes several measures aimed at holding energy companies accountable to keep utility bills down. The governor also promoted diversifying energy sources and pushing for policy changes on the federal level.
Hochul said U.S. interference in the Middle East might be the main driving factor in price spikes at the pumps and in home heating and utility bills, but the federal government’s elimination of subsidies for clean energy projects additionally have thwarted efforts to help lower costs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This all makes the state’s efforts to reach climate goals more costly, she said.
She also criticized President Donald Trump for allowing prices to rise while urging New York Republican House members to help demand accountability and relief for energy costs.
“I'm calling on our congressional delegation," Hochul said. "There's seven Republicans who are in the majority in Washington who should be pushing for accountability in Washington. The president and his allies created this crisis. They're the ones who have to end it."
Business owners also are calling for help in lowering costs, as operations, construction costs and prices for goods and services are directly impacted by energy and fuel costs.
"This is a very heavy weight for our small business to carry, especially when trying to maintain a large fleet of trucks and large equipment," said Christine Hausrath, president of Hausrath’s Landscape Maintenance.
Another talking point was the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Hochul said it was not attributable to rising utility costs because it’s not yet in effect, but she said she’s working with the state legislature to adjust implementation timelines to protect against higher prices. While she stood by the law’s ambitions, she doubled down on her push to extend implementation. A judge is forcing compliance for the state to meet climate goals by 2030, which she said was “not possible without prices going up.”
Previous attempts at delaying regulation changes have been shot down in the courts and has faced strong opposition from environmental groups. Hochul projects family utility bills could increase by roughly $4,000 by 2030 if the law proceeds under a judge’s current timeline. She said she formally would announce changes she would like to see to the CLCPA in the near future.
