- Kathy Hochul's husband, William Hochul, is a lawyer for the massive law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, which represents natural gas clients including the owner of the Williams Pipeline project that she recently resurrected. Covered in detail here, apparently Hochul freaked out about this story: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/nyregion/hochul-husband-davis-polk.html
- Also unmentioned in this episode is the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA), passed in 2023, which authorizes the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to build clean energy projects using their AA+ bond rating to raise money. But Hochul appointed the President and CEO of NYPA, Justin Driscoll, a confirmed Republican, and together they are slow-walking the buildout, such that nearly four years later NYPA has yet to break ground on a single utility-scale solar project. What a shame.
While gas biz lobbying is mentioned a lot, there is also the nuke biz, as represented by Clean Air Task Force & fellow travelers who have been on Volts. "Clean, FIRM... FIRM!" Not that green SOFT path stuff.
The nuke bros need "delay" because they actually don't have any SMRs yet, and developing them and siting them needs decades. These Dem pols are getting pressure from all sides and "popularism" at the current moment seems to show apparent hesitation by the public on current decarbonization pathways, not surprising after a decade of intensifying PR and influence campaign against existing, deployable wind, solar, batteries, EVs and HPs. Maybe it's not the upstate mechanic she thinks she/Dems need, it's some MAHA types that got their knickers in a twist about offshore wind and whales, etc.
They should learn a bit from the success of congestion pricing.
In New York, ambitious climate targets collided with cost pressures and federal barriers to offshore wind. While the state is now expected to miss its 2030 renewable target, the state’s latest energy plan shows it remains on track for a 100% clean grid by 2040—largely due to a renewed emphasis on nuclear power."
A few things to add:
- Kathy Hochul's husband, William Hochul, is a lawyer for the massive law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, which represents natural gas clients including the owner of the Williams Pipeline project that she recently resurrected. Covered in detail here, apparently Hochul freaked out about this story: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/nyregion/hochul-husband-davis-polk.html
- Fossil fuel and utility lobbyists have spent at least $16 million pushing Hochul to fight and stall clean energy since she took office in 2021. She is a shill. It's very unfortunate that she doesn't have a real Left challenger this year. https://www.nyrenews.org/press-mentions/fossil-fuel-utility-lobbyists-targeting-gov-hochul-with-big-spending-new-report-shows
- Also unmentioned in this episode is the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA), passed in 2023, which authorizes the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to build clean energy projects using their AA+ bond rating to raise money. But Hochul appointed the President and CEO of NYPA, Justin Driscoll, a confirmed Republican, and together they are slow-walking the buildout, such that nearly four years later NYPA has yet to break ground on a single utility-scale solar project. What a shame.
While gas biz lobbying is mentioned a lot, there is also the nuke biz, as represented by Clean Air Task Force & fellow travelers who have been on Volts. "Clean, FIRM... FIRM!" Not that green SOFT path stuff.
The nuke bros need "delay" because they actually don't have any SMRs yet, and developing them and siting them needs decades. These Dem pols are getting pressure from all sides and "popularism" at the current moment seems to show apparent hesitation by the public on current decarbonization pathways, not surprising after a decade of intensifying PR and influence campaign against existing, deployable wind, solar, batteries, EVs and HPs. Maybe it's not the upstate mechanic she thinks she/Dems need, it's some MAHA types that got their knickers in a twist about offshore wind and whales, etc.
They should learn a bit from the success of congestion pricing.
From CATF.US
"Northeast: Recalibration and clean firm focus
In New York, ambitious climate targets collided with cost pressures and federal barriers to offshore wind. While the state is now expected to miss its 2030 renewable target, the state’s latest energy plan shows it remains on track for a 100% clean grid by 2040—largely due to a renewed emphasis on nuclear power."
Hochul was, after all, Cuomo’s Lieutenant Governor. My conclusion is that she has been bought.