Press Releases

Pearl River, N.Y. – 8/15/25… Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) today blasted Governor Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats after the New York State Public Service Commission approved a three-year rate hike request from Central Hudson Gas & Electric. This a move that will drive energy bills even higher for Hudson Valley families and small businesses.

Under the PSC’s approval, Central Hudson customers will see electricity and natural gas delivery rate increases phased in over the next three years, piling additional costs on households already struggling with record inflation and high property taxes. This increase comes at a time when New York’s energy grid is becoming less reliable due to the state’s aggressive closure of baseload power sources.

“Yesterday’s decision is the direct result of Kathy Hochul’s failed, ideologically driven energy agenda,” said Congressman Lawler. “By blocking new natural gas infrastructure, previously shutting down nuclear power plants, and pushing unreliable renewable mandates without a realistic transition plan, she has manufactured an energy crisis in New York. Now, hard-working families are left holding the bag with higher utility bills, all while Albany bureaucrats and lobbyists pat themselves on the back.”

“This is the same Governor who cheered the closure of Indian Point — a nuclear power plant that provided clean, affordable, and reliable power to millions — without replacing it with an equivalent energy source,” Congressman Lawler continued. “The result? Further reliance on imported energy, skyrocketing costs, and rolling blackout warnings. 

“We should be embracing an all-of-the-above energy approach — expanding natural gas infrastructure, investing in nuclear power, and responsibly developing renewables — instead of shackling ourselves to policies that punish ratepayers and jeopardize our energy security,” concluded Congressman Lawler.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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