New Yorkers are opening utility bills that are unworkable for household budgets.

A Spectrum News report this week highlighted the claim that higher costs are primarily driven by U.S. LNG exports. Exports and winter demand do influence natural gas prices, and New York is not insulated from those swings.

But that is not the whole story. New York has also been shrinking the in-state supply of dispatchable, fast-start natural gas and dual-fuel generation that keeps the grid stable on the coldest nights and hottest days.

Here are the megawatts. Under the DEC “Peaker Rule,” 1,027 MW of fossil-fired generation became unavailable or limited as of May 1, 2023, and another 590 MW became unavailable by May 2025. That is 1,617 MW no longer fully available when demand spikes. State law also directs NYPA to cease electricity production from its “small natural gas power plants,” totaling about 517 MW, by December 31, 2030, unless needed for emergency service or electric system reliability.

The grid investment point is valid, too. After years of underinvestment, transmission and distribution upgrades are overdue and expensive. At the same time, demand is rising from electrification. That combination is a cost driver.

That is exactly why a CLCPA course correction is needed. Grid upgrades and replacement resources take years to build. The CLCPA implementation requires upgrades on a compressed timeline, which is colliding with consumer affordability and reliability requirements. Hence, the NYSERDA memo states that “differing accounting standards from internationally accepted approach in inflexible near-term targets would combine to yield higher cost.”

New Yorkers deserve an energy plan that follows a simple rule: build first, then retire. Megawatts and wires matter, and the transition needs a long, realistic time frame that protects affordability and reliability