As voters focus on energy, Blakeman and Hochul disagree on solutions

ALBANY — Public polling shows energy costs are hurting voters' wallets as the price of everything from gas at the pump to utility rates skyrockets, and New York's two gubernatorial candidates are competing to show how they’ll address the problem.

Republican Bruce Blakeman says tapping into the state’s natural gas resources through hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is the key to lowering costs.

Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul has focused more on renewable energy, such as solar, wind and hydro, as well as nuclear.

Both say they have an "all-of-the-above" approach with a focus on affordability.

It makes sense that energy costs have become an issue in the gubernatorial race, said Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship. "The fact that they’ve been put front and center in our consciousness from the effects of the war in Iran and the gas prices surging up — I think that’s sort of hitting everybody between the eyes in terms of their awareness."

The cost of energy is rising for a host of reasons including the war, supply chain disruptions, the expense of replacing aging infrastructure and increased demand, energy and public policy experts said.

A July Siena Research Institute poll found 72% of New Yorkers polled said utility prices are having a serious impact on their financial condition, second only to food prices.

While Hochul is toeing the line between the need to address climate change and cost, Blakeman is arguing the state’s climate policy is driving up costs, political analysts said.

Energy, environmental and political experts say both candidates may be oversimplifying the reality of putting new systems in place and the time it would take for ratepayers to see those savings.

"It’s hard to deliver immediate results given the multifaceted nature of energy production and consumption," said Luke Perry, a distinguished professor of political science at Utica University. "I think a lot of the campaign rhetoric is focused on communicating the idea that the candidates understand what people face and that they can help them. Whether they can actually deliver in a timely fashion is another story."

Fracking

Blakeman is blaming Hochul and Democrats for rising utility rates, referring to the state’s effort to lower greenhouse gases and transition to renewable energy as the "green energy scam."

"New Yorkers pay 70% more for electricity than the rest of the country because Kathy Hochul hiked utility rates 48 times and forced a $2.4 billion energy tax on your back," Blakeman told Newsday in an emailed statement.

He pledged to cut utility bills in half and is largely focused on fracking as the solution.

Fracking, currently banned in New York, involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals deep into the ground at high pressures to crack rock formations and release oil and natural gas.

"Fracking would help bring down the commodity cost of gas, which would affect home heating bills and the price of electricity," said Ken Girardin, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a fiscally conservative think tank.

But there are many factors that go into the high cost of energy in New York, he said.

Environmental experts say fracking wouldn’t necessarily be the boon it’s being made out to be and would still require infrastructure and pipelines to be put in place.

Pennsylvania allows fracking and is one of the largest natural gas producers in the country, but utility bills for consumers are still high, said Bob Howarth, a member of the state’s Climate Action Council and a professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University. Utility rates in Pennsylvania remain high for a number of reasons including the cost of gas infrastructure and a lack of energy diversity making the state heavily reliant on fossil fuels, the cost of which fluctuates, according to energy experts and news reports. 

Pennsylvania as of May had the 15th highest electricity rates for consumers in the nation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. New York was ranked third behind Hawaii and California.

A 2025 state Department of Public Service report found costs aligned with New York's climate policy make up about 10% of overall electric bills. Factors driving utility rate increases include property taxes, the cost of putting in new or replacing aging infrastructure, growing demand, supply chain issues and extreme weather, according to the department.

Clean energy

Hochul, who is in her sixth year in office, has largely been pushing to grow solar and wind energy, as well as nuclear power.

In May, she approved a $277 billion state budget that included a $1 billion utility rebate program along with changes to how utility rates are set to help lower costs for consumers. But the budget, under a push by Hochul, also delayed the rollout of the state's landmark climate law, which requires the state to lower greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy. 

The Democrat — facing a host of pressures in an election year, including rising costs, the Trump administration blocking renewable projects and a lawsuit over the climate law — cited the need for more time and to mitigate costs for consumers as reasons for the delay.

"While I am still committed to working toward our targets, with all the stress our residents are under, New Yorkers expect their elected officials to prioritize affordability," Hochul said in a March op-ed in the Empire Report. "They are suffering from high costs every single day and I for one will not ignore their cries for relief."

Environmentalists say the move was misguided and the cost estimates for implementing the climate law were exaggerated and based on a worst-case scenario.

"If we’d moved faster on the climate law, then our energy prices would be lower," Howarth said. "Slow tracking it doesn't solve the affordability crisis at all."

Nuclear power could help lower emissions, but it would take decades to put in place and depending on how it’s paid for, could put over a billion dollars of costs on ratepayers, energy and environmental experts said. There are also concerns about safety and waste disposal.

While the cost of gas is rising, solar, wind and battery storage are becoming more affordable, said Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice, told Newsday. "The bottom line is elected leaders do need to prioritize addressing energy affordability and what that means is pursuing renewables, battery storage and transmission."

Voters

This election cycle the issue of climate change may be overshadowed by high energy costs, economic and political experts said.

"Because climate change is a very long run phenomenon, consumers discount it while making personal decisions and judgments now, rather than if climate change were happening tomorrow," said Kajal Lahiri, a University at Albany distinguished professor of economics.

Consumers who are struggling economically may be less likely to be proactive in terms of going green, experts said. 

People are more likely to pay attention to a campaign argument that "taps into their experience in a really immediate, lived way," Reeher, the Syracuse University professor, said.

Political and energy experts also said the political arguments may oversimplify the solution.  

"We’re living in an age where hyperbolic political rhetoric is the norm," Reeher said. "It’s a real problem because you need to have the space to have the more nuanced, longer-term discussions and those are almost gone."

Energy policy is complicated, and doesn’t lend itself to quick fixes, Perry said.

"I think voters want pragmatic approaches that move things in a direction that makes energy more affordable, whether that’s utility costs or gas at the pump," he said. "I think that’s what most of all New York voters are looking for, even if results can’t be delivered overnight, the sense that things are headed in the right direction."