Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, has criticized New York’s energy policies, stating that the state should develop its natural gas resources. He described these policies as harmful to businesses and families in a statement made on X.
“Not to mention Natural Gas is America’s super fuel,” said Cortes. “We Americans have oceans of this clean power source beneath our feet. In fact, once you’re Governor — please help NY harness its full Nat Gas potential, Elise Stefanik! It is a war on energy wielded by the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul.”
New York has been advancing an agenda to phase out natural gas in new construction projects. According to the Times Union, the 2023–24 state budget includes a law banning fossil fuel systems in most new buildings starting in 2026. The All-Electric Buildings Act mandates that all new single-family and low-rise buildings constructed after January 1, 2026, must use only electric appliances, with a complete phase-in by 2029. This initiative aligns with the state’s broader climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that New York produced just 8.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2023, marking its lowest production level in nearly fifty years due to a longstanding ban on hydraulic fracturing. Despite this production shortfall, New York consumed approximately 404.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas for residential use in 2024, meeting about 60% of households’ heating needs and ranking it as the sixth-largest gas consumer in the United States. Most of New York’s natural gas supply is imported from other states and Canada.
Data from Choose Energy indicate that New York’s industrial natural gas prices averaged $13.19 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in March 2025, placing them among the highest in the nation. In contrast, Pennsylvania—a neighboring state and major gas producer—averaged $10.79 per MMBtu during the same period. New York’s per capita gas consumption remains lower than most other states due largely to its production limits and reliance on imported natural gas through interstate pipelines.
Cortes is also known as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote and previously served as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance. Additionally, he is a commentator for Fox News and CNN and regularly releases documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.