Blankenbush Statement on NYSERDA Spending and Program Review Hearing
Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C - Black River) attended a Assembly Energy Committee public hearing in Albany, December 18, 2024.
Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C- Black River) voiced his concerns with the lack of transparency regarding New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) spending at an Assembly Energy Committee public hearing in Albany. NYSERDA operates without financial oversight from the legislature as they are their own authority, yet a group of bipartisan officials agree that without proper oversight millions of tax dollars are allocated in unclear ways.
Blankenbush expressed his concern with the passing of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), a controversial and costly plan backed by NYSERDA. Currently, they have the ability to utilize funds in any way they see fit to achieve the goal of this disastrous policy, even if this could lead to an affordability crisis in the future. Blankenbush argued that there needs to be more oversight of NYSERDA by the State Legislature to ensure that the transition to clean energy is done safely and most efficiently so that New Yorkers know how much is coming out of their pockets. Currently, the cost benefit analysis of CLCPA predicts a cost of $280-340 billion which would financially devastate the state.
Blankenbush said, “I am deeply concerned with the current operation of NYSERDA and its autonomy when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, especially with the CLCPA and other costly green energy initiatives. Spending is completely unclear at this time to the point where high-level executives at NYSERDA cannot give us complete information on how and where money is being spent. We need NYSERDA and the New York State Legislature to work together to responsibly spend our dollars on their initiatives. Without this, NYSERDA will continue to spend taxpayer dollars without any oversight by elected officials obligated to the people and could potentially lead to an energy crisis in our state.”