ICYMI: New Column Blasts Hochul's Bad Climate Record as Gov. Pushes Two Trump-Backed Gas Pipelines

ALBANY, NY (09/11/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, Jacobin published a column slamming Governor Hochul for her terrible record on climate, as the Governor continues to revive two long-dead major gas pipelines at the Trump administration's direction. Read the full column here.

In the column, author Liza Featherstone writes, "When it comes to climate, an issue of vital importance to the Democratic base and the future of humanity, she and Trump appear to be BFFs." She continues: "Hochul's energy policy isn't just bad by normal climate metrics. Not only does she resist policy reforms that will lower emissions, she resists energy affordability itself. Her own agency has presided over punishing rate hikes, while refusing to be a true partner in the cause of public power, the only way to truly guarantee energy in the public interest."

Featherstone also highlights efforts by similar blue state Governors to reject the same kind of fossil fuel projects that Governor Hochul is desperately trying to greenlight, writing, "Hochul, by contrast, approved the Iroquois pipeline earlier this year and seems to be kowtowing to Trump by expediting approval for the wildly unpopular Williams and Constitution pipelines."

The column comes as more national and state lawmakers - including the Governor's own allies - are pushing back on her efforts to approve Trump's pipelines. Last month, in a rare moment of criticism from Democratic Members of Congress, Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Hakeem Jeffries, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Nydia Velazquez signed a letter to Governor Hochul raising serious environmental concerns with the proposed NESE pipeline and urging her to extend the public comment period. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has similarly denounced the reported deal, calling it "extortion," while her own Lieutenant Governor has repeatedly urged the Governor to reject these pipelines. In New York City, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella have both publicly opposed the pipelines.

Background

After meeting with President Trump this Spring, Governor Hochul reportedly agreed to fast-track two long-dead pipeline proposals that her own state agency repeatedly denied: 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.

These pipelines would 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.