February 10, 2026
FROM SEN. O’MARA: State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C-Big Flats) joined Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and other members of the Senate Republican Conference at the Capitol on Monday to unveil a comprehensive package of legislation, “Affordable Energy, Not Albany Mandates,” aimed at addressing New York’s skyrocketing energy costs.
Several proposals in the legislative package would deliver immediate financial relief to New Yorkers by lowering utility bills. One measure sponsored by O’Mara would return approximately $2 billion currently sitting unspent in state coffers for green energy programs directly back to ratepayers in the form of utility bill credits. Another piece of legislation would provide a one year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday, similar to the state’s 2022 gas tax holiday, which was implemented when New Yorkers were facing $5-per-gallon at the pump.
O’Mara and his GOP colleagues noted that New Yorkers are currently weathering some of the highest energy rates in the nation. Residential electricity rates in New York are 50% higher than the national average and rose 7.6% in the past year, faster than the national average. Since the enactment of the “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” (CLCPA) in 2019, electricity rates in New York have increased 45%– leading New Yorkers to pay 30-40% higher rates than neighboring Pennsylvania, for example.
The Senate GOP is targeting state mandates and policies under the CLCPA, carried forth by two successive Democrat governors and all-Democrat majorities in the State Legislature over the past seven years.
Senate Republican Leader Ortt said, “Just last week a newspaper article highlighted how more than 400,000 customers have had their gas or power cut because they can’t afford to pay their bills – numbers that are much higher than during the great recession. This completely unacceptable, and a direct result of Albany Democrats’ out-of-touch Green New Deal scam policies. The New York State legislature must start acting on behalf of all of our constituents, instead of passing feel-good policies that do nothing to save the planet and only serve to please radical environmentalists, while making the rest of the state suffer.”
O’Mara, a member of the Senate Energy Committee, said, “Since the CLCPA’s approval in 2019, we’ve watched Albany Democrats move at record speed to pile one unfunded mandate on top of another unworkable policy on top of the next unrealistic directive desperately trying to inflict a zero-emissions economy on this entire state that will have zero impact on the climate. These actions are delivering a heavy price tag that will only get heavier as time goes on for ratepayers. The consequences for ratepayers and taxpayers, small businesses and manufacturers, school districts, farmers, and entire local economies will continue to be devastating. It has become clear that the current strategy is not realistic or achievable. It is not responsible or rational. There was no cost-benefit analysis. It lacks critical foresight and common sense, and it unreasonably risks energy grid reliability and affordability. The urgency remains for an overdue and badly needed revision of the current plan. In the meantime, New Yorkers need relief now. Our Republican Conference is promoting this package of bills which will deliver much-needed relief to overburdened ratepayers. Senate Republicans continue to put forth a clean energy strategy that is focused on affordability, feasibility, and reliability.”
The comprehensive legislative package is part of the Senate Republican Conference’s broader “Save New York” 2026 legislative agenda, a plan to improve affordability, enhance public safety, and build a stronger New York for today and future generations. The Republican energy strategy aims to provide immediate ratepayer relief, enhance cost transparency, and offset costly mandates through legislative actions.
“Affordable Energy, Not Albany Mandates” includes legislation sponsored by O’Mara that would:
require any surplus or unspent ratepayer funds remaining in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Climate Investment Account or any unspent funds collected by utilities be sent back to ratepayers as a bill credit. This bill would result in lowering New Yorkers utility bills by at least $2 billion at a time when New Yorkers are facing skyrocketing utility bills. NYSERDA’s 2025 Financial Plan indicated the authority had $2 billion in unspent funds at the end of FY2025 (Senate Bill Number 8461);
enact the “Ratepayer Disclosure and Transparency Act” to require a monthly report that includes the estimated or actual ratepayer costs and benefits of any mandated state energy program, including any CLCPA compliance costs (S.6412); and
delay the statewide implementation of the state’s All-Electric School Bus mandate, currently set to take effect at the start of 2027, until 2045 or until all state agencies convert their own fleets and set other revised benchmarks (S.1908).
Other highlights of the GOP plan include the following legislation:
S8463 – Provides a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday and two-year green energy tax holiday. Government taxes and fees account for between 25 to 50% of a customer’s utility bill. This bill would provide meaningful and immediate relief to ratepayers as they face escalating energy costs.
S7075 – Repeals the system benefit charge. The system benefit charge is a fee imposed on all ratepayers that provides money to NYSERDA and the PSC. Repealing such fees would lower utility bills.
S1031 – Directs the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Comptroller to determine the cost of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) mandates for each ratepayer and to establish a credit for ratepayers and businesses to cover those costs.
S1414 – Requires in addition to the consent of the Public Service Commission, Legislative approval before implementing increases in fees, rentals and charges for the furnishing or rendition of gas or electric power.
S5515 – Relates to providing transparency to residential utility and municipality ratepayers on the cost impact of the climate action council’s scoping plan.
S8447 – Requires a fiscal note when a bill enacts or amends a law impacting the cost of utility services.
S5611 – Establishes the Climate Action Cost Council, which must meet quarterly and report on any CLCPA cost associated with any action taken by the Council.
S8669 – Repeals the CLCPA and its costly and unrealistic mandates that has driven up energy prices, and replaces it with the THRIVE Council – Thriving, Reliable, Inexpensive, Versatile Energy. The THRIVE Council would bring together industry experts to chart a realistic, achievable transition to cleaner energy, one that prioritizes affordability, grid reliability, and economic stability
S4748 – Repeals the All-Electric School Bus mandate.
S1167 – Repeals the All-Electric Buildings Act.
S3652 – Repeals the Electric Vehicle mandate.
S8607 – Repeals the $15 billion per year Cap-and-Invest program that will act as a tax on New York consumers.
