Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C–Ballston) stood alongside fellow lawmakers from the Senate and Assembly Minorities at the state Capitol today to address the growing energy affordability crisis affecting families and businesses across New York caused by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

Representing Saratoga, Schenectady and Fulton counties, Walsh said residents throughout the Capital Region are feeling the strain of rapidly rising electricity and heating costs.

“Families in my district are seeing dramatic increases in their monthly utility bills, and they deserve answers,” Walsh said. “When residential electricity prices have risen 47.1% since 2019 and we continue to hear warnings about grid reliability, it’s clear we must reassess our current path.”

Walsh also pointed to a recent internal memo from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) outlining potential cost increases associated with the state’s climate mandates. According to the memo, compliance with the CLCPA could significantly raise fuel costs in the coming years, including projected increases of more than $2.23 per gallon for gasoline, $2.41 per gallon for diesel, and $16.96 per MMBtu for natural gas by 2031.

At the same time, The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has raised concerns about grid reliability in the near future, underscoring the need for a balanced and responsible energy strategy.

At the press conference, Walsh joined her colleagues in outlining proposals aimed at providing immediate financial relief while strengthening the long-term reliability of New York’s energy system. These proposals include:

• Income-based rebate checks of up to $400 for utility ratepayers
• Returning surplus clean energy funds from NYSERDA’s Climate Investment Account directly to ratepayers as utility bill credits
• Halting the natural gas ban and zero-emission school bus mandate
• Reinvestment in natural gas plants that were forced into retirement under current policies.
• Expansion of the POWER UP grant program to incentivize the quick build-out of reliable energy

“I speak with members from across the state who are reporting the same thing: energy costs are unsustainable for working families, seniors on fixed incomes and small businesses,” Walsh said. “We can pursue environmental progress, but it must be done responsibly and transparently, with affordability and reliability at the forefront.”

Walsh emphasized that New York must adopt a practical, all-of-the-above approach that protects ratepayers, strengthens grid capacity and ensures stability for communities statewide instead of passing crazy mandates such as the gas stove ban and repealing the 100-foot rule.

“Our goal should be clear,” Walsh concluded. “Reliable power, reasonable costs and policies grounded in reality, not mandates that outpace our infrastructure or our families’ ability to pay.”