Trump’s energy secretary Chris Wright rails against NY green energy efforts in visit to LI power station

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright railed against New York’s green energy efforts and steep electricity rates during a visit to a Long Island power station — claiming that amping up natural gas infrastructure would be the state’s path to a more affordable future.

Wright stressed the Trump administration’s vision for energy policy — claiming “misguided” net-zero energy mandates and political opposition to natural gas projects are harming the Empire State — while speaking to reporters at Long Island’s National Grid Northport Power Station on Tuesday.

“Energy is the infrastructure of life — this enables everything we do in our lives, our personal lives, our business, our hobbies,” Wright told reporters.

“When the industry leaves California, or a manufacturing plant leaves Massachusetts and moves to China — it’s not emissions reduction — that’s just moving the emissions, and the jobs and economic opportunities move with it,” he said.

Wright said New York and New England’s electricity rates are 50-100% higher than the national average, and heating costs were also among the nation’s steepest.

The secretary — who previously served as the CEO of Liberty Energy, North America’s second-largest hydraulic fracturing company — suggested the only solution to driving down costs would be to expand natural gas infrastructure.

He also confirmed that talks have taken place with Gov. Kathy Hochul to implement long-stalled pipelines. The Constitution pipeline, a 125-mile project, would transport gas from fracking fields in Pennsylvania into New York.

The Northeast Supply Enhancement project, another pipeline, would run roughly 24 miles into New York Harbor, involving construction in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

The regulatory process for both projects began in May when energy development company Williams bet the Trump administration would clear hurdles for production, according to Natural Gas Intel.

Wright argued the projects would cut energy bills, mean cleaner air, and bring back economic opportunity in the region.

Environmental advocates have objected to the construction of the gas infrastructure, stating the move would negate efforts to wean off fossil fuels. Industry insiders have also claimed that the pipeline could actually drive up costs for energy generators and consumers, according to a report by Canary Media.

The prospect of the two pipelines has also angered opponents of fracking. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation officially banned the gas extraction method in 2015.

“We’re working every way we can to make the regulatory environment possible for these decisions to be done — that means helping change state policies and then working with the business leaders, who will actually make these investments,” Wright told reporters.

“And we will use some of the funding from the Department of Energy in cases where there’s a great return on our dollars, and will match dollars with some corporate players to do things exactly like that.”

Wright also called the Northport power station’s operations “tremendous,” claiming the 60-year-old station’s output reached peak levels of power as demand rose in the area.

However, Wright said there is room for improvement within the power station’s operations.

“Here, for example, just upgrading, and re-powering this power plant with more water equipment that can generate more power with the same amount of gas and lower the emissions,” Wright said.

“But of course, that takes the cooperation of state politicians and state regulators to work,” he said.

“We think the more people that understand energy, the more we’ll drift back towards common sense, energy policies. Businesses in general, of course, favor that.”