Natural Gas Emerges As A Key Issue in The Race For Governor

Natural gas has emerged as a major issue in New York’s race for governor, with Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman promising to roll back the state’s all-electric building mandates and expand the use of natural gas if elected in November.

Standing alongside state lawmakers and housing advocates in Brooklyn, the Nassau County executive sharply criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s energy policies, arguing they have increased the cost of housing and electricity while slowing new residential construction.

“Kathy Hochul’s energy policy is nothing short of a crime against New Yorkers,” Blakeman said. “Right now, Hochul’s disastrous mandates are forcing families to pay up to 70% more for electricity than the rest of the nation. And for what? To force a ridiculous, all-electric mandate on buildings when our electric grid is nowhere near ready to handle the load.”

Blakeman said developers who had received approvals to build apartments using natural gas are now being forced to redesign projects to comply with all-electric requirements, increasing costs and delaying much-needed housing.

“We have developers who went through the proper channels, got city approval, and drew up common-sense plans to build much-needed housing powered by reliable natural gas,” he said. “Now, New York City is pulling the rug out from under them, forcing them to go all-electric, driving up construction costs and stalling projects we desperately need.”

He pledged to reverse those policies if elected.

“It’s unscientific, it’s unaffordable, and when I’m governor, we are going to scrap this green energy scam, bring back natural gas, and start putting New York families first,” Blakeman said.

The issue comes as neighboring Pennsylvania continues to expand production from the Marcellus Shale, creating jobs, generating lease and royalty income for landowners and supplying natural gas to markets throughout the Northeast. New York, by contrast, continues to prohibit hydraulic fracturing and has adopted policies forcing a transition away from fossil fuels.

With affordability expected to dominate this year’s campaign, energy policy is increasingly becoming one of the clearest distinctions between the candidates as voters head toward the November election.