Since Gov. Hochul came into office, fossil fuel companies have ramped up efforts to hire lobbyists with ties to her administration and have succeeded in stalling climate and affordability policies. Fossil fuel corporations and New York utilities have poured more than $15 million into lobbying state officials since 2021, in an effort to undermine New York’s progress on climate and affordability policy. Fossil fuel companies — such as National Fuel Gas, American Petroleum Institute, Consolidated Edison, and National Grid — have increased their lobbying efforts by 52% since Governor Hochul came into office.
These corporations have retained five of the top 10 highest-paid New York lobbying firms to influence cap and invest and other decarbonization laws and regulations. Notably, National Fuel Gas, which has been at the forefront of efforts to derail climate action in New York, increased its lobbying spending by 147% since 2021 and retained the state’s second-highest-paid lobbying firm in 2023, when Hochul announced her cap and invest plan.
