HUDSON VALLEY- Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17) is taking aim at rising energy costs with new legislation he says will put Hudson Valley families first.
Lawler this week announced the introduction of the Energy Affordability and Reliability Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill he is co-sponsoring in Congress. The proposal would create a new Office of Energy Affordability within the U.S. Department of Energy, designed to evaluate how federal energy policies affect household costs and the reliability of power systems.
For residents across the Hudson Valley, where utility bills have climbed in recent years, Lawler said he is pushing the measure in direct response to what he called an “energy affordability crisis.”
“Energy affordability and reliability are fundamental to the strength of our economy and the well-being of Hudson Valley families,” Lawler said in a statement. “An Office of Energy Affordability within the Department of Energy ensures that every major energy policy is evaluated for its real-world impact on costs, access, and long-term stability.”
Under the proposal, the new office would operate within the Department of Energy’s Office of Policy and review regulations tied to energy transitions or shifts in energy sources. The goal, according to Lawler, is to require more transparency from federal agencies by analyzing both short- and long-term effects on consumer energy bills.
The office would also be tasked with identifying strategies to maintain affordability while ensuring a reliable supply of energy, an issue that has become increasingly prominent as states like New York pursue aggressive clean energy goals.
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