As an intern for Senator William Colton, I spent this past summer watching the same pattern repeat: constituents desperate for relief from rising utility costs while Albany quietly advanced new fossil fuel projects. 

This past month, Kathy Hochul approved a new Trump-backed gas pipeline. She also made an agreement with Greenidge Generation, a gas-fueled cryptocurrency mining company, to continue operating for 5 years, overturning the state’s initial decision to decline the operation a permit. 

These developments were part of a string of actions Hochul has taken that have been sharply scrutinized by environmental groups. Earlier in the year, Hochul had paused regulations that reduced emissions and levied costs on pollution in the name of “energy affordability and reliability.” 

These decisions from the governor’s office make one thing painfully clear: New York is still propping up a fossil fuel system that is both financially unsustainable and environmentally reckless. That is precisely why passing the NY Home Energy Affordable Transition (HEAT) Act (S.4158/A.4870) is urgent. 

First, the state’s continued reliance on gas is literally written into law, mandating that New York ratepayers continue to subsidize the expansion of the fossil fuel system. The infamous “100-foot rule” requires utilities to connect new gas customers for free if the building is within one hundred feet of an existing line. This subsidy costs existing ratepayers a staggering $200 million annually. The full NY HEAT Act sought to amend the Public Service Law to redirect spending toward clean energy alternatives that align with the CLCPA.

Second, the current Public Service Law mandates that the state locks itself into enormous future infrastructure debt that runs directly counter to its stated climate targets. This mandate is particularly egregious because utilities are projected to spend $150 billion to replace leak-prone gas pipelines over time, with ratepayers footing the bill. The HEAT Act was designed to end this harmful incentive structure and redirect the funds toward Neighborhood Gas Transition Projects. 

Finally, the failure to adopt the full HEAT Act denied New Yorkers the most critical component of the proposed solution: mandated protection against high energy burdens. This past August, the energy affordability crisis was acute, with over 1.2 million families two months or more behind on their utility bills, owing utilities upwards of $2 billion. The full legislation contained a provision requiring the PSC to develop a plan to guarantee all residential customers are protected from bearing an energy burden greater than 6% of their household income.

Opponents to the NY HEAT Act, including 20 business groups, argued that the legislation was an unworkable, heavy-handed solution that would impose “significant adverse impacts on the state’s economy.” However, this argument fundamentally ignores the economic reality that maintaining the fossil fuel status quo is far more expensive than transitioning away from it. The climate action plan that the HEAT Act supports was based on findings that the cost of climate inaction exceeds the cost of action by more than $115 billion. Moreover, solar photovoltaics (PV) are, on average, 41% cheaper and onshore wind projects are 53% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternatives.

For upstate residents already struggling with climbing utility bills this past Fall, this bill matters for one simple reason: it would stop forcing us to pay for the expansion of a gas system that is outdated, leaky, and wildly expensive to maintain. We cannot wait for political will to materialize: New Yorkers must collectively demand that our elected officials immediately revisit and enact the full NY HEAT Act (S.4158/A.4870).

Raghav Raj is a student at Cornell University from Glenville, NY. 

Acknowledgement

The Institute for Youth in Policy would like to acknowledge Andrew Baum for editing this op-ed.

References

French, Marie J., and Mona Zhang. “Hochul Enrages Environmentalists with Shift to ‘All of the above’ Energy Policy.” Politico, November 13, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/12/democrats-focus-on-affordability-over-climate-goal s-as-midterm-elections-loom-00649370. 

International Renewable Energy Agency. “91% of New Renewable Projects Now Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels Alternatives.” July 22, 2025. https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2025/Jul/91-Percent-of-New-Renewable-Projects-No w-Cheaper-Than-Fossil-Fuels-Alternatives. 

Kim, Julia. “New York Issues Major Cuts to Energy Affordability Program.” Radio Catskill, August 12, 2025. https://wjffradio.org/new-york-issues-major-cuts-to-energy-affordability-program/. 

Kinniburgh, Colin. “Why Is It So Hard for New York to Pass Climate Bills?” New York Focus, June 27, 2025. https://nysfocus.com/2025/06/27/packaging-waste-heat-act-pfas-new-york-assembly. 

New York State. “New York’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act - New York’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act.” Climate Act. Accessed April 12, 2026. https://climate.ny.gov/. 

“NY HEAT Act.” WE ACT for Environmental Justice, n.d. Accessed April 12, 2026. https://weact.org/programs/ny-heat-act/. 

Spectrum News Staff. “New Utility Rate Hikes across Parts of N.Y. Go into Effect.” Spectrum News 1, September 1, 2025. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/business/2025/09/01/new-utility-rate-hikes-acros s-parts-of-upstate-go-into-effect. 

The Business Council. “20 Groups Sign Letter Opposing the HEAT Act Legislation.” May 22, 2024. https://www.bcnys.org/20-groups-sign-letter-opposing-heat-act-legislation. 

The New York State Senate. “Contact the New York State Senate.” Accessed April 12, 2026. https://www.nysenate.gov/contact. 

The New York State Senate. “NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4158.” Accessed April 12, 2026. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4158.