Some of Kathy Hochul’s supporters are tearing up her Green New Deal-inspired plan

Even some of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s key supporters oppose her administration’s Green New Deal-inspired plan.

The climate proposal would be a “job-killing disaster” and burden New Yorkers with “sky-high” utility bills, according to National Grid officials, represented by the Transport Workers Union, which supports Hochul.

The proposed climate plan, signed by senior members of the Hochul cabinet, would ban new natural gas supplies to existing and newly constructed buildings from 2024 and ban gas appliances entirely by 2030.

The proposal, if enacted, would “wipe out thousands of good union jobs,” Constance Bradley, president of TWU Local 101, said in a statement.

Bradley’s union represents 1,600 Brooklyn and Queens-based workers at international utility giant National Grid.

“We also want a green world, but not at the expense of workers,” John Samuelsen, president of TWU International, added to The Post on Tuesday ahead of a union protest in Brooklyn.

The rally comes ahead of a meeting of the state’s Climate Action Council, which drafted the plan to try to meet the goals of the 2019 Climate Act, which were being pushed by the government at the time. Andrew Cuomo.

Constance Bradley, president of TWU Local 101, claimed Hochul's plan would do it "wipe out thousands of good union jobs."
Constance Bradley, president of TWU Local 101, claimed Hochul’s plan would “wipe out thousands of good union jobs”.
TWU Local 101
TWU supports National Grid's plan to phase out natural gas appliances by 2050.
TWU supports National Grid’s plan to phase out natural gas by 2050.
Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

The proposal has yet to be publicly commented on, and a final draft will then be published at the end of the year. The country’s climate protection council will vote on the final plan.

“The Democratic Party has to decide whether it’s pro-working class or elite,” said Samuelsen, a prominent supporter of Hochul and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Hochul sided with socialist arsonist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the environmental left in October, killing two proposed natural gas-fired projects in Queens and Newburgh state.

TWU’s statement showed its support for National Grid’s alternative fossil fuel reduction plan, which does not phase out natural gas until 2050.

TWU International President John Samuelsen ripped off the proposal, saying Democrats must do it "decide whether they are pro-working class or elite."
TWU International President John Samuelsen ripped off the proposal, saying Democrats must “choose whether they are pro-working class or pro-elite.”
Gregory P. Mango

A State Department spokesman for Environment Commissioner Basil Seggos and the Council defended the climate plan and dismissed the criticism.

“The jobs study published by the Just Transition Working Group showing that for every potentially displaced job (e.g. in the conventional heating or fuel sector) in New York, 10 additional jobs will be added in growing clean energy sectors – a projected incremental creation of 200,000 jobs by 2030 in every corner of the state. And action on climate change will bring a net benefit of $120 billion to New York,” said Haley Viccaro, strategic communications director for the Department of Environmental Conservation.

“There are no provisions in the Draft Scoping Plan that will force customers to make a costly switch or swap out of a working oven or furnace. When a device reaches the end of its life and needs to be replaced, the recommendations in the Draft Scoping Plan would allow New Yorkers to replace their outdated, fossil fuel-powered devices with modern, environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and cost-saving devices. NYSERDA [the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority] and other agencies offer programs to reduce energy bills and support low-income users, with a strong focus on energy justice.”

https://nypost.com/2022/05/03/some-kathy-hochul-backers-rip-her-green-new-deal-inspired-plan/ Some of Kathy Hochul’s supporters are tearing up her Green New Deal-inspired plan

JACLYN DIAZ

JACLYN DIAZ is a USTimeToday U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. He has covered climate change extensively, as well as healthcare and crime. JACLYN DIAZ joined USTimeToday in 2023 from the Daily Express and previously worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. He is a graduate of Cambridge University. Languages: English. You can get in touch with me by emailing diza@ustimetoday.com.

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