The Democrat running to unseat New York Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) is showing how out of touch she is with regular New Yorkers when it comes to energy costs. [some emphasis, links added]
Cait Conley, a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native and West Point graduate, is running against Lawler.
And while New York State has the third-highest electricity costs in the nation, she has shown she has no real solution to alleviating the impact of exorbitant energy bills.
She recently celebrated her endorsement by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which touted her record on green energy.
At the center of the issue is the ongoing debate over the nuclear power plant at Indian Point, which was shut down in 2021 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Lawler has argued for rebuilding and reopening the facility to provide some relief to ordinary New York residents, who are dealing with higher costs. Indeed, some have seen bills surge by 58 percent since the COVID-19 shutdown.
“The fact is, there’s no better-positioned site for energy generation in the Hudson Valley than Indian Point. The transmission lines are already built and sitting there idle,” Lawler said.
He added, “That site supplied a quarter of this region’s power before Albany shut it down, and electricity costs have jumped 58 percent since then,” and “New York should be leading on next-generation nuclear, and it should start right here at Indian Point.”
Who sets your utility bill? Not Congress.
Every rate hike in NY is approved by Hochul’s Public Service Commission. Bills are up 58% since 2019. Albany closed Indian Point, blocked pipelines, and passed a $4,000-a-year climate law.
Cait Conley is betting you don’t know that. https://t.co/0Ta6TvQDxx pic.twitter.com/0aIRVDMFp3
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) August 4, 2026
Conley opposes the idea, calling the plant “broken and decrepit” and saying “It’s no wonder that former utility lobbyist Mike Lawler is willing to do the utility companies’ bidding and reopen broken and decrepit Indian Point.”
The question is: If Conley opposes reopening the nuclear power plant, what are her solutions?
As is typically the case, she offers little more than platitudes and sound bites. She advocates for holding utility monopolies accountable, whatever that means.
“When I’m in Congress, I’ll ensure households across the Hudson Valley are no longer crushed under the weight of soaring energy bills by holding these monopolies accountable, mandating rates be tied to better services, capping CEO bonuses, and increasing our energy supply through investment in projects that utilize our natural resources,” she said.
Of course, she never specified how this would lower energy prices for consumers because she obviously doesn’t actually have a plan for that.
Read rest at Townhall
