Guest Viewpoint: Albany's energy mandate is blind to reality

As New Yorkers, we all want cleaner air, lower emissions and a healthier environment for the next generation. Reducing carbon output is a goal I fully support. We should strive to be more environmentally friendly in the ways we use power and build homes, but the solutions we pursue cannot be worse than the problems they seek to resolve. Unfortunately, that is exactly what New York state's All-Electric Building Act represents. The state recently paused implementation of this mandate, not because Albany realized it was an impossible or unworkable policy but because it faces a pending lawsuit. That alone speaks volumes. New York remains committed to a disconnected policy agenda that ignores the realities of affordability, grid reliability and our growing housing crisis. This pause is a legal technicality, not a moment of reflection. Driving up construction and heating costs at a time when New York is already one of the most unaffordable places in America makes no sense. Yet, this mandate will ripple through every sector of housing and energy planning for years to come. Executive director of the New York State Builders Association Michael Fazio said this will unquestionably slow housing production and increase costs. Builders are likely to take their business out of state as well. Homebuyers and renters will pay more. Municipalities will struggle to update codes and infrastructure. And families will face higher energy bills as the state pushes costly transitions faster than technology and the market can support. The timing could not be worse. The world is entering an era of unprecedented electrification from the explosive growth of AI data-processing centers that consume megawatts per site and a rapidly expanding network of electric vehicle chargers. These technologies hold tremendous promise, but they are also enormously power-hungry. Cornell's Professor Lindsay Anderson's models confirm we lack the renewable capacity to meet peak winter demands, risking blackouts or brownouts. Rural areas like mine with outdated transformers and limited infrastructure face even greater strain. Meanwhile, the state refuses to tap into its own abundant natural gas reserves, even as we quietly rely on out-of-state gas to keep the lights on. This hypocrisy weakens our energy security, raises costs for consumers and forces us into dependence on other states rather than responsibly managing our own resources. The state cannot pretend to solve one crisis by manufacturing another. Conveniently for the governor though, this lawsuit-motivated pause will likely align with the entirety of the 2026 gubernatorial race. But with families priced out and builders paralyzed, Albany must repeal the All-Electric Buildings Act in its entirety now until the affordability crisis has been fully addressed. The governor needs to work for the people instead of waiting until after election day to sign her most harmful mandates for her party. -An op-ed from the desk of Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C-Adirondack)

Signup for our newsletter

Guest Viewpoint: Albany's energy mandate is blind to reality

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS