Honorable Governor Hochul – New York’s clean energy goals are ambitious and necessary. We agree the state must expand renewable energy capacity across solar, wind, geothermal, and other technologies. But at the current pace and cost structure those goals are increasingly out of reach. The simple reality is New York cannot build the volume of renewable energy it needs if it continues to impose policies that artificially inflate construction costs. Today, any renewable energy project of 1 megawatt or more is subject to prevailing wage mandates set by the Department of Labor. At a time when material costs are surging due to known and unknown tariffs, fuel prices remain volatile due to the conflict in the Middle East, and supply chains are still strained, these mandates are making already expensive projects even more cost-prohibitive. If the state is serious about scaling renewable energy, these requirements must be suspended. The consequences of maintaining the status quo are clear:…
- New York already has some of the highest construction costs…