ALBANY – Four local Republican Assemblymen, Anil Beephan, Karl Brabenec, Brian Maher and Matt Slater joined several of their colleagues in sending a formal letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging her to immediately declare an energy state of emergency in the state, warning that unchecked electricity price spikes are pushing families and small businesses to the breaking point.
Recent data from the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) shows wholesale electricity prices surging to unprecedented levels across every region of the state, with some zones approaching or exceeding $1,000 per megawatt-hour—costs that will inevitably be passed on to consumers.
“This isn’t a warning sign anymore, this is an emergency,” said Slater (R-C, Yorktown). “When energy prices spike this fast and this high, families don’t have time to wait. People are opening their utility bills and wondering what they’ll have to give up just to keep the lights on. That’s not sustainable, and it demands immediate action.”
According to NYISO, the volatility is being driven by declining generation capacity, plant retirements, fuel and pipeline constraints and growing demand without adequate base-load replacement, creating a system that is increasingly unstable and unaffordable.
“New York shut down Indian Point, got addicted to natural gas, then blocked new gas lines and made it impossible to build new power plants,” Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) said. “Solar and wind are great, but they can’t replace lost base load power. This is simple supply and demand. If we want lower bills, we need more power, period. It’s time to build again and it’s time for New Yorkers to vote with their wallets and demand action.”
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