Recently in the news, we have seen there is a kerosene shortage effecting both retailers and customers. This news comes on the heels of National Grid telling its customers to brace for substantial rate hikes on their energy bills this winter, up to 39% increases. According to NYSERDA, the price per gallon for kerosene in the Capital Region is at $6.01, a 66% increase compared to this same time last year at $3.88/gallon. This drastic increase is also being felt in the Mohawk Valley and North Country. Misguided energy policy from both President Biden and Gov. Hochul only continues to hurt struggling consumers.

We all watched Pres. Biden on his first day in office, proudly cancel the Keystone pipeline and other domestic pipeline projects. Not only did this kill thousands of jobs, it was a symbolic move that showed the United States was going to outsource its energy production. Following the pandemic, continued issues with supply chains, cuts in foreign oil production and the war in Ukraine, it is abundantly clear that Biden’s crusade on domestic energy production has failed, we need to bring this production back to American soil.

Gov. Hochul and Albany Majority seems to be following the same playbook. In 2019, the CLCPA put forth bold deadlines to cut emissions and commit New Yorkers to a financially devastating energy transition. The CLCPA only puts New York at a competitive advantage with neighboring states. In fact, it will only further contribute to the exodus of New Yorkers, with 350,000 leaving the state in 2020 alone. It is predicted that for a single-family to fully convert their home to electric and meet CLCPA guidelines, it would cost north of $35,000. The governor, legislative Majorities and president have all put affordability on the backburner in the name of their climate agenda.

Not to mention, Majority lawmakers climate agenda continues to fall short on the question of reliability. They know it isn’t reliable, they just have to appease their radical climate donors. Without grid reliability, we would all be subject to rolling blackouts. In our neck of the woods, we simply could not afford mass energy blackouts, our winters are cold and freezing. A blackout would be incredibly dangerous and even deadly in some cases.

In last week’s column, I mentioned the biomass facility at Fort Drum. The Majority isn’t only going after clean natural gas, they are coming after anything that doesn’t fit their arbitrary ‘renewable’ definition. The kerosene shortage is only another example of the real-world effects of poor energy policy.

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office at 315-493-3909 or email me at blankenbushk@nyassembly.gov.