Governor Hochul Blames Trump for Climate Change But Fast-Tracks His Agenda

ALBANY, NY (09/24/2025) (readMedia)-- This morning, Governor Hochul announced a plan for a $1 billion sustainable future fund, which was already approved months ago in the state budget. Throughout her speech, Hochul blamed Trump and the federal government for rolling back climate action. But Governor Hochul made a deal with Trump earlier this year to build fracked gas pipelines that have already been repeatedly rejected in New York for their negative environmental impacts.

"Governor Hochul spent her morning blaming Trump for climate change and praising herself for fighting back. But New Yorkers know she's not his rival, she's 'caving' to him on fracked gas pipelines. If Governor Hochul actually wants to fight climate change and protect the environment, she won't follow through on the $1.4 billion NESE pipeline that will raise our bills, poison our water, and accelerate climate change," said Julia Walsh, Director of Frack Action.

Background

After meeting with President Trump this Spring, Governor Hochul reportedly agreed to fast-track two long-dead pipeline proposals: the Williams NESE pipeline, which would run through the New York Harbor and into Far Rockaway; and the Constitution pipeline, which would run across 125 miles of the Southern Tier and into the Albany area. The White House has since claimed Hochul "caved" on the pipelines in exchange for allowing a wind project in New York State to continue, while the Governor has hardly denied a deal and committed to working with Trump.

The NESE application is the same one that New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) repeatedly denied. It poses the exact same environmental threats to New York's waterways. The NESE pipeline would stir up toxic contaminants in the New York Harbor that harm critical fisheries and other wildlife habitats.

As proposed last time around - before it was forced by the Court to abandon its effort - the Constitution pipeline would threaten more than 250 waterways throughout Upstate New York, endangering sensitive habitats and wildlife populations that depend on healthy ecosystems.

These pipelines would also force regular New Yorkers to pay billions to expand fossil fuel infrastructure that is increasingly unreliable and expensive to maintain. The Williams NESE pipeline alone will cost more than $1.3 billion, forcing ratepayers to pay $200 million every year for more than a decade on construction. While energy companies promise it will eventually decrease costs, National Grid estimates its New York City and Long Island customers would see a 3.5% increase in costs to pay for construction - adding to repeated rate hikes already making energy unaffordable for most New Yorkers. In addition to direct construction costs, the pipelines would also jeopardize hundreds of millions in local economic activity, tourism, fishing and other small businesses that rely on healthy local ecosystems.