Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman sharply criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday, arguing that New York’s green energy policies are “bankrupting” residents.
Appearing at a news conference in Washington Heights with former Gov. George Pataki, New York’s last Republican governor, Blakeman promised to tap the state’s natural gas reserves and cut energy costs if elected.
“We’re not going to be able to supply our energy from this day going 100% with wind turbines and solar farms,” Blakeman told reporters. “It will actually bankrupt New Yorkers if we allow it to continue over the next four years.”
“It’s got to be a balanced approach to energy,” he said. “We’re sitting on one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world. Yet Kathy Hochul won’t let us extract that natural gas.”
Pataki, who served as governor from 1995 to 2006, also took aim at Hochul’s energy policies.
“Since I left, Albany has done three things: raise your taxes, raise your electric bill and make your streets less safe than they used to be,” Pataki said. “That has got to change.”
“We’re all for renewable energy, but it has got to be part of a package that doesn’t drive up costs through the roof,” Pataki added. “It can’t be something that is based on ideology as opposed to the practicality of what the people need.”
Energy costs have become a central issue in Blakeman’s campaign. He has pledged to cut utility bills in half as New Yorkers contend with steadily rising expenses since Hochul took office in 2021.
Con Edison bills in New York City rose 27% between 2021 and 2025, with the average monthly bill increasing from $160 to $218.
Upstate residents faced an even steeper increase. Bills for NYSEG customers jumped 46% over the same period.
The increase translated into average monthly bills rising from approximately $80 to $147, according to the data.
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Blakeman has attributed those higher costs to green energy initiatives, including the development of wind and solar farms. The increases have helped make New York’s energy bills the third-highest in the nation, behind only Hawaii and California.
His proposed solution includes tapping New York’s vast natural gas reserves through hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. The extraction method remains controversial because of concerns over groundwater pollution and other environmental risks.
Former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo imposed a statewide fracking ban in 2014, and the prohibition was codified in 2021. As a result, Blakeman would face significant legal and political obstacles to reviving the practice even if he wins the election on Nov. 3.
Blakeman has continued to support the idea. His campaign cited a recent report by the Empire Center for Public Policy, which concluded that natural gas could significantly reduce winter heating costs, bringing average New York prices to about $131 a month from October through March.
The report estimated that electric heating, on which most of the state relies, would cost roughly $550 per month during the same period.
“We should have an ‘All of the above’ attitude for energy. People are really suffering,” Blakeman said. “People are telling me wherever I go how expensive their utility bills are.”
“We’ve got to get back to common sense and having an energy policy that works for the people,” he added.
The remarks from Blakeman and Pataki came two weeks before the midterm elections, as some polls showed Hochul holding a lead of only four points.
Hochul defended her energy agenda separately on Tuesday, highlighting the $1 billion in rebate checks she has issued to New Yorkers this year as utility costs continue to rise.
“Energy costs are high and I know that families are struggling, which is why we are getting in the mailboxes, energy rebates,” Hochul said of her cherished checks, before quickly pivoting to blaming President Trump and the war in Iran for burdensome utility bills.
“But you know what would be a lot better to driving down energy costs in New York? It’s stopping the war with Iran.”
