FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 14, 2025
Contact: info@publicpowerny.org
Hochul to Let Trump Derail New York’s Energy Future
Public Power NY Coalition responds to Governor’s push of false narrative around renewable affordability and failure to meet the state’s climate law
Albany, New York – As the federal government continues to sabotage the buildout of renewable energy with the passage of President Trump’s megabill, Governor Kathy Hochul is refusing to lead and has instead embraced a false narrative around renewable energy affordability, setting New York up to fail to meet the goals of the nation leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA), passed in 2023, authorizes the New York Power Authority to build and own renewable energy projects, giving the state a powerful tool to build at least 15GW of public renewables by 2030 to meet the legally mandated goals of the CLCPA. But instead of fully utilizing NYPA, Hochul is considering fracked gas pipelines, expensive nuclear power, and a “slow down” of the state’s renewable build out, which she incorrectly attributes as the cause of unaffordable utility bills.
The Public Power NY Coalition released the following statement: “If Governor Kathy Hochul put as much energy into NYPA’s buildout of public renewables, as she does trusting Trump’s false promises on nuclear and fracked gas, New York would be on track to meet our climate goals and lower our bills. The best way to lower energy bills is to transition from volatile fracked gas to reliable renewable energy as quickly as possible, but Hochul would rather repeat right wing talking points than embrace reality. If Hochul is serious about protecting our wallets and planet, she will direct NYPA to build as many public renewables projects as possible right now, and make the most of the remaining window to use federal IRA funding.”
Currently only one third of NYPA’s planned renewable energy capacity is scheduled to come online before the end of 2027 and will be able to take advantage of the IRA incentives that will end under the recently passed megabill.
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Note to the editor:
About Public Power NY
Public Power NY is a movement fighting to ensure New York effectively carries out the Build Public Renewables Act by building 15 Gigawatts of public renewables by 2030. Hailed as the first statewide Green New Deal law, BPRA was written by PPNY and passed in 2023 thanks to four years of organizing by a multiracial, multi-generational movement of climate and advocacy organizations, labor unions representing millions of New Yorkers and tens of thousands of New Yorkers who have taken action from upstate, downstate, and everywhere in between. With federal climate action off the table, BPRA has enabled NY to not just play defense against Trump, but lead the way the way FDR created NYPA to do.