New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Elise Stefanik told the Daily Caller News Foundation that energy will be a “centerpiece” of her campaign as her state’s affordability crisis is “directly tied” to current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s policies.
Stefanik launched an aggressive campaign on Nov. 7, panning Hochul as the “worst governor in America.” Stefanik, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has blamed New York’s rising energy costs on Hochul’s aggressive green energy mandates.
Energy policy took center stage in several recent elections as electricity rates rose and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers proliferated. Hochul recently pivoted to an “all-of-the-above energy strategy” and greenlit a pipeline permit despite her fellow Democrats’ outrage.
Other major New York pipeline projects like Constitution remain in limbo after having their permits rejected under Hochul’s term. New York ratepayers suffer costly energy bills and Hochul’s reelection chances loom large.
“Energy will be a centerpiece of our campaign because it’s directly tied to the affordability crisis caused by Kathy Hochul,” Stefanik told the DCNF in an interview. “This is a governor who has blocked fracking at every opportunity, has blocked pipelines at every opportunity, except when she sees her bad polling numbers and she’s trying to shift her position. … New Yorkers are smart. They know that we are paying higher bills because of Kathy Hochul’s policies.”
Stefanik is the Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership and serves New York’s 21st district. The Chairwoman pointed to her “strong record” in congress supporting “all-of-the-above energy policy,” and noted that while Hochul blocked fracking, she would “frack, baby frack” on day one in the energy-rich Southern Tier.
“We have significantly higher energy and utility costs because of laws and policies that Kathy Hochul has put into place,” Stefanik argued, noting that if she were to become New York’s next governor, she would support fracking, pipelines and nuclear energy.
“We should be green-lighting pipelines instead of blocking them at every opportunity,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik has also critiqued Hochul’s “radical gas stove ban,” a New York building electrification mandate for most new structures that was slated to begin in January 2026, though the state punted its implementation last week.
New York has enacted several regulations on appliances, has a 2040 green energy mandate and has some of the highest average utility bills in the U.S., according to data from Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Though Hochul has signaled interest in advancing more nuclear power plants in New York, state officials shut down Indian Point during former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tenure. The closure was welcomed by climate activist groups due to purported safety and environmental risks.
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