Hochul Blames Republicans for $500M Clean Energy Cuts in New York

Governor Kathy Hochul is voicing sharp criticism after the federal government eliminated nearly half a billion dollars in clean energy funding for New York projects, a decision she says could erase more than 1,000 jobs and deal a major setback to the state’s clean energy ambitions.

The funding cuts, carried out by the Trump administration through the U.S. Department of Energy, will strip resources from dozens of companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations across the state. Hochul’s office estimates the ripple effect could climb as high as $650 million in lost economic activity.

“These cuts directly impact local businesses and major companies, putting workers out of jobs, shuttering factories, and slowing our state’s economic progress,” Hochul said. “Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are playing politics with the government shutdown, and New York’s economy and hard-working families are paying the price.”

The Department of Energy’s decision affects more than two dozen companies and institutions, halting research, development, and infrastructure projects from Western New York to New York City.

-Plug Power Inc. in Rochester and the Capital Region will lose over $147 million.

-GE Vernova and GE are facing reductions totaling more than $62 million in the Capital Region.

-IBM is losing nearly $20 million in the Mid-Hudson area.

-The American Institute of Chemical Engineers will see over $79 million cut statewide.

-Urban Mining Industries and Urban Electric Power in the Mid-Hudson region will forfeit more than $43 million.

Additionally, major universities including Cornell, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Columbia University are expected to be heavily impacted by the loss of federal support.

Empire State Development President Hope Knight condemned the move, saying the funding losses will “stifle New York’s clean energy economy while killing good-paying jobs.”

Doreen Harris, who heads the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), called the cuts “short-sighted,” noting they add “further uncertainty for organizations and businesses that need stability to plan, invest, and grow.”

The decision has drawn broad condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. Both Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand joined the governor in denouncing the move, along with nearly every Democratic member of New York’s congressional delegation.

Schumer labeled the cuts a “reckless campaign of chaos and revenge” and argued they would “raise families’ electric bills just to score petty political points.”

Hochul and state officials are now urging New York’s Republican representatives in Congress to intervene and pressure the administration to restore the funding.

“These aren’t Democratic or Republican projects,” said Rep. Paul Tonko. “These are cutting-edge programs working to drive innovation and bring energy costs down for everyone.”

Hochul Blames Republicans for $500M Clean Energy Cuts in New York