As Gas Prices Reach New Highs, NYers Rallying At Gas Stations To Demand Gov. Stop Pushing Climate Law Rollback

ALBANY, NY (04/22/2026) (readMedia)-- This week, as gas prices hit record highs with no end in sight, lawmakers and advocates are rallying at gas stations across the state to demand Governor Hochul drop her reckless bid to weaken our Climate Law and focus on actually lowering energy bills for New Yorkers. New Yorkers rallied at gas stations this week in Westchester, Schenectady, Buffalo, Elmira, Ithaca, and Kingston, and will continue across Albany, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, and more to demand Hochul stop fearmongering and focus on actually lowering energy bills for everyday families.

Gas prices were already at an all-time high before the war in Iran caused them to skyrocket further, and 1 in 4 households already cannot afford their energy bills. Despite Hochul's posturing about the Climate Law, her proposal will do nothing to help the New Yorkers who are struggling to afford their energy bills right now - which the Governor herself has admitted.

"Everyone can see that oil and gas prices are skyrocketing and won't come back down anytime soon. But instead of working to get us off of expensive fossil fuels as quickly as possible, the Governor is trying to delay investments in more affordable renewable energy. The Governor should take action to actually help lower our energy bills by getting us off of oil and gas and investing in clean, affordable energy," said Lisa Marshall, Director of Organizing and Advocacy, New Yorkers for Clean Power.

Last month, the Governor revealed her plan to gut the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) under the guise of "affordability." But instead of investing in renewable energy to actually lower high gas bills, the Governor is trying to force state lawmakers to accept changes to greenhouse gas accounting that create dangerous loopholes in the law and make it appear that emissions have declined when they have not. Her proposal would also delay requirements to implement regulations under the law until December 31, 2030, pushing climate obligations back years.

The Governor's push follows a series of contradictory and misleading excuses for why she is seeking to renege on New York's climate commitments, all while trying to portray herself as a climate champion. In recent weeks, she has pointed to a memo from her own administration that suggested implementing the CLCPA will lead to higher energy bills - a claim that lawmakers in her own party have rejected. She has also suggested that New Yorkers are overpaying for energy because of the CLCPA and that amending the law will save New Yorkers money in the short-term, which she later admitted was "false." She even cited the war in Iran as an excuse to roll back the CLCPA, claiming it would somehow "protect consumers" who are already suffering from high energy bills.

Thankfully, lawmakers - including leaders in her own party - are refusing to take the bait. State lawmakers including Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblymembers Anna Kelles, Emily Gallagher, Jo Anne Simon, and Diana Moreno are also rallying at gas stations to urge Hochul to stand up for the Climate Law, and earlier this month, over 30 state lawmakers rallied at the Capitol to urge the Governor to implement clean energy and energy efficiency solutions that actually lower New Yorkers' energy bills.

In March, more than two-thirds of Senate Democrats signed a letter pushing back on Hochul's claims and urging her not to "abandon our commitment to climate progress," and just last week, over 110 local elected officials sent their own letter warning that the Governor's effort would "would send the wrong signal to investors, delay critical community investments, and leave our residents exposed to the mounting costs of both fossil fuel dependence and climate inaction."

"Our message to Governor Hochul is clear-if you want lower gas and electric bills, then you should protect our climate law instead of trying to roll it back," said Patrick Robbins, Director of the Utility Customers Association. "We are grateful for the climate and affordability champions in Albany who are speaking out for the CLCPA."

"Our members across the Hudson Valley are wincing every time they have to fill up their tanks because of Trump's illegal war in Iran. Now, instead of accelerating our independence from volatile price spikes caused by fossil fuels, the Governor is trying to delay action to lower bills and climate emissions by strong-arming the legislature behind closed doors," said Xaver Kandler, Political Director at For the Many. "New Yorkers need a leader who fights against Trump instead of someone selling out to the same oil and gas companies."

"Here in Buffalo, and in all parts of New York, families are being squeezed at every level-from the gas pump to their utility bills-and doubling down on fossil fuels will only deepen the crisis. Governor Kathy Hochul is moving to weaken the Climate Law at the exact moment we should be strengthening it. We need elected officials to stand with the people of Buffalo-not fossil fuel companies and utility interests that profit from our communities. Protecting the CLCPA and investing in affordable, renewable energy is the only path forward if working families are going to breathe and live with dignity," said Dr. Majadi Baruti, Climate Justice Organizer, PUSH Buffalo.

"These painful gas prices should be a wake-up call for Governor Hochul. Weakening our Climate Law will keep New Yorkers dependent on expensive fossil fuels, which will keep hurting families. Our best and only defense is investing in affordable, local renewable energy. Governor Hochul, stand up for New Yorkers and keep us moving in the safe direction: implement our Climate Law!" said Sasha Skon, member of Mothers Out Front.

"The Governor has dragged her feet on implementing the CLCPA and justifies her time wasting by talking about "affordability". It is obvious to us that free and endlessly available sun and wind provide the most affordable energy source of all. We are calling on the Governor to implement the CLCPA to stabilize energy bills and build independence through renewables," said Katie Chao, Co-Lead Organizer, Progressive Schenectady.