The cost and environmental impact of New York’s energy system is too high, and confidence in it is low. It’s not a new problem, but it’s one Gov. Kathy Hochul is addressing with an unflinching, all-of-the-above approach to energy policy. The governor’s approach will make sure the lights and heat stay on and, by adding more supply, will bring costs down.

Voices on both extremes of the political spectrum have their chosen silver-bullet solution. Some want us to build nothing but renewable energy, ignoring the perils of a grid based on intermittent resources alone. Others want us to open new fracking wells across the state to go all-in on natural gas, locking us into decades of exposure to volatile global commodity markets. 

One side would make us dependent on the weather; the other on the moods of petrostate dictators. 

New York needs a clean, reliable energy system

The reality is: under Hochul, New York is building a future-proof energy system that is cleaner, more reliable and more attractive to new businesses and residents than before. 

New York is a national leader in renewables — we’ve cut the ribbon on the nation’s first large offshore wind farm and have two more under construction; we’ve installed more than 6 gigawatts of solar power; and later this year the Champlain Hudson Power Express, or CHPE, line will start bringing clean hydropower from Quebec to New York City. 

Our energy system produces fewer emissions per capita than almost any other state in the nation. 

And we’re not ignoring reliability. While previous administrations were comfortable closing power plants without building replacements, we’re allowing the construction of absolutely necessary infrastructure to keep New Yorkers safe. We will never compromise on this. 

This is also why Hochul has championed the revival of upstate New York’s nuclear power industry. In partnership with renewable energy, nuclear power will ensure our grid remains rock solid during winter storms, summer heat waves, and as we welcome massive, energy-hungry industries like chip fabricators and artificial intelligence to New York.

None of this is free. But the governor is laser focused on keeping people at the core of her energy agenda. 

That means fighting against outrageously high cost increases sought by energy developers, supply companies and gas and electric utilities at every step of the way. Hochul is proposing strong utility oversight reforms like tying executive salaries to energy affordability and requiring data centers to bring their own power.

New York requires Washington's help on energy, too

But New York can’t go it alone. 

We need Washington to be a committed partner in the fight to lower the cost of grid investments, provide regulatory and economic support for new renewable and nuclear power and help us build the energy infrastructure our thriving economy demands. 

Instead, federal inaction and interference has hurt New York ratepayers. The federal government has halted fully permitted energy projects under construction, shaken investor confidence in America and high interest rates are hammering our infrastructure costs. This destabilization is directly felt by ratepayers on their utility bills.

Now, following a bitterly cold start to 2026, we’re seeing rising utility bills that are a direct result of a grid that’s more dependent on a single source of fuel than ever before: natural gas. When the global price of gas skyrockets, as it has in the last few weeks, the price of heating homes and powering businesses in New York increases with it. 

Hochul’s commitment to an all-of-the-above energy system isn’t based on partisan politics, it’s a recognition that resource diversity and abundance is key to stabilizing and reducing costs for New Yorkers. 

We look forward to partnering with anyone who is ready to do the hard, complex work of improving our energy system with practical, not ideological, solutions so that we keep costs down, factories humming and leave our state cleaner than we found it.

Sean Ewart is deputy secretary for energy in the administration of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

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