New York Needs More Natural Gas and Nuclear Power

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday morning, calling in is Congressman Mike Lula, and he’s my congressman up in Chappaqua. And, Congressman, energy-wise, our city, our state is suffering. Everybody’s complaining that their energy bills are doubling. Well, how can we solve this problem?

0:22 Speaker 2 Well, this is a direct result of New York’s disastrous energy policies under Kathy Hochul. They’ve banned nuclear power. They’ve banned natural gas. They’ve blocked pipelines. They’ve created a mess. Utility rates are up 58 percent in six years under Kathy Hochul because of these policies. So it’s pretty simple.

0:43 We need to rebuild and reopen Indian point. It would produce 2.4 gigawatts of power to the region. We need to allow natural gas extraction in the southern tier of New York, and we need to approve pipelines. If you want to reduce costs, you need to increase supply and the method by which it is delivered. And so this

1:06 is this is straightforward. The reason New York pays among the highest energy costs anywhere in the country is because of the policies enacted by Democrat one party rule in Albany.

1:19 Speaker 1 Let me ask you, Congressman, you’re on some important committees in in Washington. Is there an investigation going on these windmills or solar cells? How much political contributions they made in comparison to the approvals they got?

1:37 Speaker 2 I’m sure the committees of jurisdiction are looking at things like that, whether it’s Energy and Commerce or the Oversight Committee. Fundamentally, I don’t have a problem with renewables. The issue, of course, though, is that the taxpayers are subsidizing this energy to even make it competitive or affordable. as opposed to what we should be doing to ensure competition, but moreover, ensure investment

2:06 and development. We need an all of the above approach to energy, inclusive of renewables, but you need nuclear and you need natural gas. 70% of electricity generated nationwide is generated by natural gas. So to me, we can have an all of the above approach, But it should be based on free markets and not the taxpayers subsidizing one

2:30 form of energy over another.

2:32 Speaker 1 Now, Governor Hochul has said to me that she is endorsing SMRs, small modular reactors. Have you seen proof of that?

2:41 Speaker 2 Well, she’s said it, and certainly I would support that. But the fact that she’s talking about doing nuclear on the Canadian border, she doesn’t want to do it downstate. You have Indian Point. It could be easily rebuilt and reopened within five years at a third of the cost of building a new power plant and generate 2.4 gigawatts

3:04 of power. We should be working to get nuclear and natural gas expanded in the state of New York.

3:11 Speaker 1 Congressman Mike Waller, thank you for everything you do for New York, and God bless you, and God bless America.

3:17 Speaker 2 Thank you, John. Appreciate it.