Energy Secretary Chris Wright calls NYS climate law 'totally nuts'

New York State’s climate law and others like it that seek zero-emission power grids in coming decades are driving up energy costs and are "totally nuts," U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said during a visit to the Northport Power Station Tuesday.

He suggested that federal funds could help subsidize much-needed upgrades of aging fossil fuel plants such as those on Long Island.

"From just a common sense perspective it’s just totally nuts, that’s my technical term for what it is," Wright said of climate laws such as New York's that call for all-electric heating in buildings above a certain size and would limit use of natural gas. 

"The goal of the Trump administration and my goal personally in the Department of Energy is how can we help every state in our country lower its cost of energy, clean the air for its citizens and provide expanded economic opportunity?" Wright said, saying greater availability of natural gas would provide the needed pathway. 

Ken Lovett, a spokesman for Gov. Kathy Hochul, said Wright’s "totally nuts" characterization of net-zero climate laws are "no surprise given the Trump administration's full-on assault" on clean energy.

"Whether it's blocking offshore wind, cutting federal incentives for electric vehicles and solar energy, or rolling back clean air and clean water standards, the Trump administration's attempt to thwart the progress we have made puts New Yorkers' well-being and safety at risk," Lovett said in a statement. "We will not go back, which is why Gov. Hochul is pushing an all-of-the-above approach that prioritizes affordability, grid reliability and economic development."

Lovett noted that Hochul is open to natural gas and any other energy plans that will "keep the lights and heat on for New Yorkers, but has insisted that all proposed projects must be reviewed impartially by the required agencies to determine compliance with state and federal laws."

Wright said he had met with Hochul early in his tenure and "had many productive dialogues." 

Wright, who met with officials at Brookhaven National Laboratory and National Grid during a daylong visit to Long Island, said funds previously earmarked for green energy under the Biden administration could be repurposed to rebuild plants and drive an increase in natural gas infrastructure.

"There was a lot of money allocated under the Biden administration that was to encourage businesses to ... spend money and make electricity more expensive and less reliable," he said, alluding to green energy projects such wind and solar. "But some of those funds are still available to better the electricity system. If we can use them with a great bang for the buck, we will deploy those facilities."

Wright said a "misunderstanding" of climate change is what brought higher energy costs in regions such as New England and California. "Climate change is a real phenomenon — I’ve engaged with the issue for 20 years," he said.

But Wright said the prospect of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 has been the justification for "all sorts of laws," even while there is a "zero point zero chance that the world will hit that" goal in 2050.

"It’s not going to happen," he said, though it’s led to "all sorts of energy policies justified in the name of pursuing net zero."

Like Trump, Wright railed against offshore wind power, saying the history of wind has "really been a train wreck," notably in places such as Britain, Germany and Denmark, and has led to "the most expensive electricity prices in the world."

Allowing offshore wind plants already under construction to continue, such as the Sunrise Wind array for Long Island and Empire Wind for New York City, are "a stickier dialogue" he said. "It’s a dialogue that’s going on right now in the administration. I think a reasonable outcome will come out of that, but that’s still in progress."

Empire Wind was halted by the Trump administration in the spring but given the green light after New York State agreed to give new consideration to natural gas pipelines previously rejected by New York. 

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.