In today’s hyper-polarized political landscape, common sense often feels like a radical act. That’s why Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D-N.Y.) embrace of a balanced, all-of-the-above energy strategy deserves more than polite applause. Governor Hochul can create a model for Democrats across the country.
Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future, a group I co-chair, conducted polling last month from showed a strong majority of New Yorkers want energy that is reliable and affordable. Sixty-six percent of New York voters, including 74 percent of state Democrats, oppose efforts to block natural gas. This isn’t a red or blue issue. It’s a kitchen table issue. It’s time Democrats leaned into it.
Energy policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s the backbone of everything we care about—economic growth, national security, public health, and affordability. Nowhere is this more apparent than in New York—a state whose infrastructure powers not just the local economy, but vital national assets.
Wall Street. Fort Drum. Billion-dollar semiconductor facilities like Micron’s new plant near Syracuse. Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island. These institutions depend on a resilient energy grid and gas network. That’s what made the findings from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)—which are responsible for maintaining the reliability of the grid—report on Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 so alarming. The storm strained the Northeast’s grid to the brink. Millions lost power. Natural gas supply failed to meet demand. The region, and especially New York, was one bad break away from widespread blackouts and loss of heating that would have taken weeks not days to restore.
That’s also what was concerning about a recent report from New York ISO, which maintains the state’s electric grid. They are sounding the alarm that New York’s grid is under such severe strain “every plausible option and opportunity to bolster reliability and resource needs should be on the table,” including “new conventional supply” in addition to repowering older retired assets.
Governor Hochul’s recent acknowledgment that natural gas must be part of New York’s energy future is a critical turning point. It signals that the governor understands what many in her party have struggled to admit: that achieving a clean energy future does not mean discarding the tools that work today. Natural gas remains a cornerstone of grid reliability. During times of peak demand—like Winter Storm Elliott—it’s often the last line of defense.
The politics of this are just as important. Republicans have long used energy affordability as a cudgel, accusing Democrats of raising costs and prioritizing ideology over working families. There’s some truth in that critique. But Hochul is offering a way forward. By embracing natural gas, nuclear, and renewables, she’s demonstrating a pragmatic path—one that reflects the needs of real people.
There’s also a broader political narrative at play. If New York’s grid falters again, figures like President Donald Trump will be quick to assign blame. And unless Democrats take bold action, they’ll be left playing defense—even on issues like Micron’s investment, where President Trump has tried to undercut bipartisan economic growth efforts.
Governor Hochul has a chance to flip the script. She can show that Democrats don’t have to choose between environmental progress and economic reality. We can lead on both fronts. We must.
By continuing to move toward a balanced energy policy that includes natural gas, Hochul can define what Democratic leadership looks like in a second Trump term. And if she succeeds, it won’t just be New York that benefits—it’ll be the whole country.
Tim Ryan is a senior advisor at the Progressive Policy institute.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
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