New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has tried to position herself as a practical Democrat who recognizes that climate goals must be balanced with real-world needs. She has shifted toward what she calls an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. That strategy includes offshore wind, solar, nuclear power, and also natural gas. Hochul says she is doing this because the electric grid is facing serious pressure from the rapid growth of AI data centers, the electrification of homes, and rising energy consumption overall. She has argued that her responsibility is to protect New Yorkers from blackouts and runaway prices. “We need to govern in reality,” Hochul said, explaining why she is embracing reliability and affordability alongside climate ambitions.
Trump’s Direct Intervention Changes Everything
President Donald Trump has not hidden his opposition to offshore wind. He has called wind energy a scam and has warned repeatedly that it is costly and unreliable. His administration took a major step to match that rhetoric with action by pausing five large offshore wind projects that are already under construction. These include two that are central to New York’s future plans. They are Empire Wind I and Sunrise Wind, which together would generate more than 1,700 megawatts and power over one million homes. Hochul said she did not see it coming. “We sure did not see this broadside attack coming,” she explained. She added that New York is “working so hard to have an all of the above approach so I can keep the lights on.”
The pause affects major projects stretching from Virginia to New England. Those include Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1. Some of these projects were already producing power or close to becoming operational. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the move, saying the administration is responding to new threats. He said the action addresses “emerging national security risks” involving adversary technologies and radar vulnerabilities near population centers. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Trump has been consistent, arguing that “wind energy is the scam of the century” and insisting the administration will instead prioritize energy sources that are “reliable and affordable.”
Hochul Out of Luck
The decision strikes at the heart of Hochul’s energy strategy. She has tried to work with Trump, even maintaining what has been described as a respectful working relationship. Earlier in the year, Trump lifted a stop work order on Empire Wind I, and Hochul claimed credit for negotiating with the White House to restart the project. At the same time, she moved forward with a Trump-backed natural gas pipeline to address reliability concerns. Now she is left politically exposed. Empire Wind I and Sunrise Wind were expected to support New York’s grid and help manage rising electricity demand. Without them, the New York Independent System Operator warns of reliability problems. Hochul also faces reelection pressure, including a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor Antonio Delgado, and Trump has endorsed her likely Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman. The stakes could not be higher.
Some business leaders and moderate Democrats believe Hochul is doing what responsible leadership requires. They say voters care about reliable power and manageable bills above all else. Kevin Lanahan of the New York Independent System Operator highlighted why a broad mix of energy sources matters, saying an “all of the above approach is necessary to add much-needed generation to the New York grid.” Matt Cohen of the Long Island Association argued that both pipelines and renewables are important, saying New York should “be looking at all different sources of energy and diversifying our fuel mix” because that improves affordability and reliability. He also warned against emotional responses, saying the situation is “way too serious for our economy and for our future to be devolving into petty back and forth.”
Environmental groups, however, are furious. They believe Hochul should have stood her ground rather than cooperating with Trump. Tyson Slocum of Public Citizen blasted the governor, saying, “She did not stand up. She rolled over.” He went further, calling the Trump administration’s actions “permitting terrorism.” Rich Schrader of Frack Action said Hochul should reverse course on approving pipelines. Meanwhile, renewable advocates fear the pause will make wind energy projects more expensive and harder to complete. Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment warned that the pause is “another delay that adds, sadly, to the cost of offshore wind and to the public’s confusion.” Democratic state Sen. Liz Krueger said she was looking into legal options to challenge the federal action.
Why Trump And His Supporters Believe This Is Better For The Country
Trump has framed his policy as a defense of ordinary Americans. The administration argues that offshore wind raises energy bills at a time when electricity prices are already climbing. Residential electricity rates rose about 7 percent compared to the previous year, and the administration links that burden to mismanaged energy policy. The White House says it will instead pursue energy strategies that lower costs, strengthen national security, and guarantee supply. Trump’s team believes fossil fuels, nuclear power, and pipelines deliver steady baseline energy while renewables introduce cost and risk. Rogers said the Biden era was defined by “the Green New Scam,” while Trump’s administration, he argued, is “putting America First.”
This fight is much bigger than one state. Hochul is trying to prove that Democrats can support climate policy while still protecting consumers and the grid. She is learning how difficult it is when Trump is willing to aggressively intervene. Trump is determined to stop renewable projects he believes will raise prices and harm the nation. Hochul calls the pause harmful and unfair. She says it threatens workers and does not genuinely protect national security. “I have a real question about their definition of what national security is all about,” she said.
In the end, Hochul faces outrage from environmental activists, pressure from moderates, political danger from both sides, and a grid that still needs reliable power. Trump’s intervention may complicate her plans, but many Americans see it as a necessary step to stop energy policies that drive costs higher. This is a collision between idealistic climate ambition and hard economic reality. Hochul may find it painful. Trump believes it is what the country needs.
NP Editor: We’ve been predicting this for a long time. Trump says renewable energy does not work – and he is right from the business perspective that it is not profitable without massive subsidies. Hochul is trying to cater to her woke, loud climate activist constituents, but Trump keeps stepping on her toes.
