New York’s new state energy plan is drawing mixed reactions, with critics warning it raises big questions about cost, reliability, and direction.
In a recent column, State Sen. Tom O’Mara said the final 2025 New York State Energy Plan signals a shift in tone but stops short of fixing what he sees as deep problems in state energy policy.
O’Mara said the plan acknowledges long-standing concerns about affordability, feasibility, and reliability under the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA. He said opponents have raised those issues since the law passed in 2019, often without response from state leaders.
The plan embraces what it calls an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, including nuclear power, renewables, energy storage, and some gas infrastructure. O’Mara said that language reflects arguments lawmakers and industry groups have made for years about the need for a diverse and reliable energy mix.
But he said major CLCPA mandates remain in place and continue to drive uncertainty. O’Mara warned those mandates could lead to higher costs for ratepayers and strain local economies if lawmakers do not revise or eliminate them.
O’Mara argued that Gov. Kathy Hochul holds the most power to change course through the state budget process. He said meaningful revisions would need to appear in the governor’s executive budget, expected later in January.
Industry and business groups echoed similar concerns in reactions cited in the column. Power producers and upstate business advocates said the plan recognizes real challenges but does not override existing law or provide the certainty needed to attract long-term investment.
O’Mara pointed to mandates such as all-electric buildings and electric school buses as examples he said remain unaffordable and impractical for local governments and taxpayers.
The senator summed up the issue by saying the state is talking in the right direction while still moving the wrong way. He said the plan offers new language but leaves key problems unresolved.
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