New York House Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Lawler, are pressing Gov. Kathy Hochul to repeal the state’s 2019 climate law, arguing it fuels rising utility costs and squeezes families and businesses. They say the law’s targets have turned into a budgetary burden, and they want immediate relief for ratepayers along with a rethink of the state’s energy agenda. Hochul has acknowledged the growing costs but has stopped short of full repeal, proposing delays instead while holding onto the long-term net-zero goal. Voter concerns about affordability are feeding this fight and shaping political stakes ahead of November.
The GOP letter puts the spotlight squarely on energy bills and the real cash burden on New Yorkers. “Utility bills are at the center of the affordability crisis with New York,” the lawmakers wrote, pointing to data showing the state’s electricity costs among the nation’s highest. They add bluntly, “Given these significant cost burdens, we strongly urge that the CLCPA [Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act] be repealed.” That demand is framed as a practical step to stop further economic damage.
Republican lawmakers highlighted a study showing New York’s electricity prices were sixth highest in the country, and substantially above the national average. They argue those numbers are not abstract policy metrics but monthly realities hitting households and small businesses. With costs stacking up, the GOP sees an opening to make affordability a decisive issue in deep-blue territory.
Hochul has publicly acknowledged the tradeoffs and the potential pain associated with strict enforcement of the climate law. “Put simply, something has got to give,” Hochul wrote, echoing the political tension between climate ambition and pocketbook pain. “[T]he undeniable fact is we cannot meet the Climate Act’s 2030 targets without imposing new and additional crushing costs on New York businesses and residents.”
A memo released by the administration laid out some of those projected impacts: households could face as much as $4,000 in additional energy costs annually if penalties on oil and gas producers are enforced as envisioned, and gas prices could rise by roughly $2.23 a gallon. Those figures are now central to the GOP argument that the mandate’s timeline is unrealistic and unaffordable. Hochul did propose stalling enforcement targets while keeping the 2050 net-zero goal intact, but Republicans say that falls short.
Republican critics say the law was built on shaky assumptions and political idealism, not sober, cost-based planning. “The basic fact is this: the 2019 Climate Law was based on faulty assumptions and was enacted using wishful thinking instead of hard facts,” the GOP lawmakers wrote, and they demanded a clearer accounting of the law’s real-world costs. “It is time to inform the citizens of our state about the realities of the 2019 Climate Law and acknowledge that its goals are unattainable, its costs are too high, and it is overall destructive to our state’s economy.”
Beyond the rhetoric, the group pressed for concrete relief: redirect several billion dollars in unspent ratepayer-collected funds back to residents in the form of utility bill credits. That demand aims at immediate relief for households facing high electric bills and spotlights an available funding source rather than new taxes or spending. For Republicans, this is both a policy move and a political strategy to demonstrate action on affordability.
Public opinion appears to back the focus on costs. More than 60% of New Yorkers said keeping energy costs affordable is more important than lowering greenhouse gas emissions, according to an April 2025 Siena College poll. The GOP letter summed up the priority plainly: “It is essential that the implementation of the energy transition move forward on an affordable and practical basis to protect ratepayers from skyrocketing energy costs.” A spokesperson for Hochul did not respond to requests for comment.
