GUEST VIEWPOINT: Hudson Valley Business Groups Unite Behind ‘All of the Above’ Energy Policy

We represent hundreds of businesses and organizations across the Hudson Valley. Our members, large and small, form the backbone of the regional economy. They have weathered significant challenges in recent years, from COVID-19 to high inflation, and have consistently demonstrated resilience and a strong commitment to New York State and the Hudson Valley. But energy insecurity cannot become our new reality.

We welcome investments in clean energy, yet New York cannot adopt policies that outpace available technology and infrastructure, nor can we burden New Yorkers with utility increases that further strain an already difficult economy. That is why we support Governor Hochul’s recent decisions to prioritize reliability and affordability through an all-of-the-above energy strategy.

Let’s continue investing in renewable energy and advancing a cleaner, more affordable energy system. Let’s explore emerging nuclear technologies and learn from innovative projects around the world. Let’s consider bridge fuels that make progress on emissions and maintain energy output. Let’s also recognize that millions of New Yorkers currently rely on natural gas, and the pipelines and infrastructure that serve them are essential, not optional. Many major economic development initiatives and urgently needed housing projects also require the option of natural gas due to technological, affordability, or grid-capacity constraints. Our electric grid, which supplies electricity for even the newest electric technologies, still relies on fossil fuels and dual fuel generation. Arbitrarily cutting off supply could exponentially increase energy rates at a time when we can least afford it. It could also destabilize our regional economy.

The foundation of our energy policy cannot be shaped by rhetoric; it must be grounded in data and aligned with our current economic and technological realities. NYISO data, provided by the experts who oversee the state’s electric grid, points to emerging reliability shortfalls and tightening margins between supply and demand. As a region, we are aggressively pursuing high-impact investment in sectors like the semiconductor supply chain, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and next-generation biotech – industries that require uninterrupted and reliable energy. Our ability to compete for these dynamic projects, and secure the jobs and investment they bring, depends on an energy system that is stable, affordable, and built for growth. The only choice that will keep the lights on and our economy moving is an “all of the above” energy policy.

About the authors: Ken Zebrowski, President of the Rockland Business Association; John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and COO of the Business Council of Westchester; Conor Eckert, President and CEO of the Orange County Partnership; and Marc Baez, President and CEO of the Sullivan County Partnership.