As New Yorkers brace for higher utility bills, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay is raising alarm about what he calls the long-term economic damage of the state’s climate agenda. In a recent column, Barclay warned that recently approved rate hikes are only the beginning of what he sees as an unsustainable financial burden driven by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The Public Service Commission has approved new rate increases for upstate residents, and more are expected in the near future. Barclay argues that these hikes are directly tied to the state’s aggressive push toward green energy, which he says is being propelled by unrealistic goals and political ideology rather than practical policy.
Under the CLCPA, New York must eliminate fossil fuel-based electricity production by 2040. Barclay says meeting that target will require billions in upfront infrastructure costs—and even then, could leave the state with a major shortfall in energy supply. “When we are done, New York will have a gap in energy production roughly the size of what it takes to power our state today,” he wrote.
Barclay criticized what he described as “green energy-obsessed Democrats” for promoting a plan that he believes lacks feasibility and will force taxpayers to fund an unreliable energy system. He contrasted this with the Assembly Minority Conference’s call for more traditional infrastructure investments in roads, bridges, and energy reliability.
He also pointed to the broader financial strain facing residents, including high taxes and inflation, saying that rising utility costs could become a tipping point for families already struggling to stay afloat. “The last thing we need in New York is another inflated expense,” he said.
Barclay urged his colleagues to reconsider the CLCPA before more rate hikes roll out and taxpayers are left footing the bill for what he described as a failing energy experiment. “Until it is replaced, we are going to suffer needless hike after hike down an endless financial spiral of waste,” he concluded.
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