Niagara County Legislator McKimmie Urges Residents to Submit Comments on State Energy Plan 

Niagara County Legislator Chris McKimmie today said he has submitted comments to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on the Draft State Energy Plan and urged residents to do the same.  Comments will be accepted through October 6 at https://energyplan.ny.gov/Get-Involved/Comment.

McKimmie has been an outspoken critic of the Public Service Commission (PSC) approving massive rate hikes on consumers, increases that he believes are a direct result of Governor Hochul’s climate action plan.

“The unrealistic goals in the Governor’s climate plan and the limiting of energy sources like natural gas are driving up costs on consumers as the state has neither the supply nor the delivery capacity to meet the electrification timetable,” said McKimmie.  “Residents need to make their voices heard that we cannot continue down this path.”

In his comments to NYSERDA, McKimmie wrote, “The transition to electrification is not a sensible pathway if the infrastructure capacity to support it is lacking and if the cost of electricity fails to deliver sufficient savings to offset the high upfront capital investments.”

He added, “The SEP Energy Affordability Impacts section shows that the most reliable way to achieve monthly energy savings is through the conventional replacement of fossil-fueled appliances and vehicles with newer, more efficient fossil-fueled models. While households that pursue efficient electrification may see reductions in monthly energy use, those gains are erased once capital investment costs are included—ultimately leading to an average 31% increase in monthly expenses.”

McKimmie concluded with, “We respectfully ask the State to pursue decarbonization in a way that both advances climate goals and strengthens communities by protecting affordability, supporting local economic development, and ensuring just, statewide access to clean energy resources and infrastructure.”

Legislator McKimmie’s full comments can be read here.

In this clip, McKimmie discusses his support for the federal Energy Choice Act that would ensure state and local governments cannot restrict consumer access to natural gas and other affordable energy sources.