LITTLE VALLEY — Members of the Cattaraugus County Legislature Wednesday showed their support for two bills, one state and one federal, opposing climate and energy mandates in New York state.

The legislature unanimously voted to support the Energy Choice Act, as introduced by U.S. Congressman Nick Langworthy, and stands firmly opposed to New York’s natural gas bans, state-driven restrictions and other state energy mandates that eliminate consumer choice.

Understanding affordable and reliable energy as essential to the “health, safety and economic prosperity of New York families, businesses and communities,” the legislature’s resolution calls natural gas a dependable, cost-effective and clean-burning energy source used by millions of New Yorkers in both homes and businesses.

M. Andrew Burr

“New York state once again is pursuing unaffordable, outrageous, ridiculous and not based in economic reality environmental energy laws,” said M. Andrew Burr, legislature chairman. “Congressman Langworthy’s effort to bend that outrageous policy, particularly in New York state, is a welcome voice that needs to be heard much more clearly, especially in Albany.”

In 2019, New York state enacted the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which mandates aggressive emissions reductions and serves as the foundation for sweeping energy restrictions, including efforts to phase out natural gas.

Building on that act, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature in 2023 enacted provisions in the state budget banning natural gas and other fossil fuel hookups in most new residential and commercial buildings, effective in 2026 for smaller buildings and 2029 for larger buildings. Hochul has publicly supported these bans and related measures as part of her administration’s climate and energy agenda, despite widespread concerns that the mandates will increase costs, strain grid reliability and restrict energy diversity.

“These top-down policies undermine affordability, threaten reliability during peak demand and strip away the freedom of consumers and businesses to choose the energy sources that best meet their needs,” the county resolution states.

Langworthy, R-23 Congressional District, and Senator Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, introduced the Energy Choice Act to the House and Senate, respectively, as federal legislation that ensures state and local governments cannot restrict consumer access to natural gas and other affordable energy sources, leaving it up to individual New Yorkers to decide.

Legislator Richard Helmich Jr. of Delevan said he recently learned the state power grid “is a disaster,” while attending the recent New York State Association of Counties convention.

“There were engineers there that talked at length about how screwed up it is,” he said. “It’s absolutely crazy.”

“Most substations are at 100 percent,” added Burr. “They can’t get more power, and yet they’re going to cut off natural gas, the most-clean fossil energy source.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Association, natural gas results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than burning coal or petroleum products. However, the EIA also notes natural gas is mainly methane — a strong greenhouse gas — and advances in drilling and production technologies have had both positive and negative effects on the environment.

The legislature’s resolution states the Energy Choice Act would safeguard households, small businesses, farmers and manufacturers from “harmful government overreach and preserve access to an all-of-the-above energy strategy” that strengthens energy reliability and affordability.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, the legislature unanimously supported a state Senate bill that would authorize local governments to opt out of mandates and benchmarks as outlined in the CLCPA and the associated universal electrification requirements.

Under the CLCPA, mandates include restrictive building codes that prohibit natural gas, vehicle sales quotas that eliminate traditional models and infrastructure benchmarks for EV charging.

“Our good Senator George Borrello has gone to the effort of trying to get opt-outs for some of these ridiculous policies,” Burr said. “People who want these can choose to get them, and people who don’t can opt out.”

The legislature’s resolution says these mandates impose one-size-fits-all burdens that disproportionately harm local governments, particularly rural towns and villages that lack the infrastructure, tax base and energy capacity to implement the changes safely and affordably.

“Cattaraugus County is in full support of legislation that affirms the principle of home rule by allowing local governments to make energy decisions that reflect the unique needs of their residents and businesses,” the resolution states.

Burr said what Borrello is doing with the proposed Senate bill is commendable and the county stands behind him in solidarity with his efforts.

ALSO OF NOTE, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $28,114.71 grant from the West Valley Demonstration Project for the K-9 program.

The sheriff’s office plans to use the grant to purchase a canine, training services for the dog and a deputy to be certified for explosive/firearm detection and to also outfit a patrol vehicle with a canine insert, provide housing for the dog, a remote door opener and a climate control system to keep the dog safe throughout all seasons.

“We’re excited to partner with West Valley and Ashford to bring another dog to the county,” said Undersheriff Nate Root. “It’ll be a bomb-sniffing dog and also do tracking and firearms, so we’re excited for that and they’re excited for that.”

Cattaraugus County lawmakers also voted Wednesday to renew for two years the additional mortgage recording tax that has been in effect for many years.

The legislature also accepted a bid of $160,634 from Dock Hardware and Marina Fabrication of Thomaston, Conn., for dock replacement parts for the Onoville Marina Park.