SOURCE:
https://tbrnewsmedia.com/residents-speak-out-at-state-energy-plan-hearing-in-stony-brook/
by William Stieglitz - Oct 3, 2025
On Sept. 29, a mix of grassroots organizers, student activists, utility workers, elected officials, and environmental professionals voiced varying priorities at the New York State draft energy plan hearing at Stony Brook University. The university saw multiple outdoor rallies in addition to 2 ½ hours of public comments on the 15-year plan, with concerns covering jobs, affordability, environmental safety, and more.
Members of the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 1049 union advocated for an “all of the above” approach to energy sources, supporting the draft’s inclusion of fossil fuels and plans for the Williams NESE (Northeast Supply Enhancement) pipeline. “If we eliminate natural gas on Long Island, that’s going to be a problem,” said Pat Guidice, business manager for the union. “That’s going to cost thousands of jobs, thousands of jobs for loyal utility workers like you see standing here right now.”
Local officials alongside Guidice expressed similar concerns, with Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer (D) saying “the pipeline needs to be built” and Ed Romaine (R) saying that in or in order to build homes, communities, and industry, }we want to make sure that there’s enough energy for all of it, all of the above.”
Other speakers, such as Santosh Nandabalan from New York Communities for Change and Senior Organizer for Food and Water Watch Eric Weltman described the proposed pipeline as a danger. “The Williams NESE pipeline,” Weltman said, “would pollute our water, contaminate our beaches, worsen climate change, and endanger our communities at tremendous expense to ratepayers forced to foot the bill for $3.2 billion.” The pipeline effort, which had previously been proposed and rejected three times, has seen movement since the White House claimed Governor Hochul “caved” to the Trump administration on the issue, and Weltman urged rejection of what he called the “Trump pipelines.”
Meanwhile, advocates from Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Renewable Energy Long Island and Students for Climate Action argued the draft plan does not invest in wind and renewable energy meaningfully enough to meet the legal mandates of the 2019 climate act. Satisfying these needs, said Nick Guariglia from New York Offshore Wind Alliance, would “create 10,000 good union paying jobs right here in New York State” in accordance with NYSERDA predictions. “If we had the three contracted projects in New York State outlined in February 2025,” he continued, “we would have saved $77 million in rates in New York State.”
George Povall, executive director of All our Energy, also argued the climate law “is a law, it’s not a choice,” and expressed particular concerns about damage from fossil fuels. “We are living on an island that is sinking underwater,” he said, arguing prioritization of environmental justice. Joe Sackman from Long Island Progressive Coalition expressed similar thoughts, saying “the option of ‘all of the above’ is not an option when it causes cancer” and “burns the planet.”
Other topics of concerns were varied, covering the draft plan’s inclusion of nuclear energy, calls for consultation with Suffolk’s First Nations, and hopes for investment in battery energy storage and solar. The hearing ended at 7:30, with the NYSERDA president Doreen Harris thanking attending community members. “We have not only transcribed all your comments but I want you to know how seriously we take the feedback that we receive.”
NYSERDA will accept written comments through Monday Oct 6 via online form or postal mail. For more information on the draft energy plan, you can visit https://energyplan.ny.gov/Draft-2025.