Langworthy Blames Clean Energy for Costs That Natural Gas and Utility Profits Actually Drive

Energy / Utility Costs Source: Conservation Club Appearance, Dunkirk, NY MISLEADING

Rep. Nick Langworthy’s February 20, 2026 appearance at the Conservation Club in Dunkirk, NY framed clean energy policies as the cause of New York’s high energy bills — but the data from the state’s own regulators, the grid operator, and the utility’s financial filings tells a starkly different story. Clean energy surcharges account for just 5–9.5% of the average electric bill, while delivery charges driven by massive gas infrastructure investment and volatile natural gas commodity prices are the dominant cost drivers. National Grid’s underlying operating profit in New York surged 61% to £443 million in the most recent half-year, even as customers saw bills spike. Langworthy’s prescription — more natural gas — would deepen the state’s dependence on the very fuel source that NYISO identifies as “the most significant driver of wholesale electricity costs” in New York.

What Langworthy claimed versus what the numbers show

Langworthy told attendees that “millions of New Yorkers cannot afford their home energy bills thanks to the extreme policies of Gov. Hochul and legislative Democrats,” and called natural gas “the bridge to our energy future” that is “reliable, accessible, abundant, and significantly cleaner than legacy fossil fuels.” The clear implication: clean energy mandates under the CLCPA are what is making energy unaffordable.

The New York PSC’s own September 2025 report found that state climate policies accounted for just 5% to 9.5% of the average household electric bill — roughly $10 to $12 per month — and 2% or less of gas bills. A typical National Grid upstate bill breaks down to approximately 50–60% delivery charges, 35–45% supply costs, and under 10% taxes and surcharges including clean energy.

The winter 2025–2026 bill crisis illustrates the actual cost dynamics. National Grid warned customers of sharply higher February bills driven by three factors: natural gas commodity prices averaging 120% higher than 2024 (Transco Zone 6 NY: $4.64/MMBtu vs. $2.10), cold-weather consumption spikes, and PSC-approved delivery rate increases for infrastructure. On January 23, 2026, the Henry Hub spot price hit $30.72/MMBtu, a nominal record. Clean energy surcharges were not cited as a significant factor in any winter bill reporting.

National Grid’s record profits flow from infrastructure ratepayers fund

National Grid’s 2025/26 Half Year Results, released November 6, 2025, confirm that the utility is earning record returns while customers struggle with bills. Underlying operating profit in New York reached £443 million, up from £276 million the prior year — a 61% increase at constant currency. The company made capital investment of £1,585 million ($2+ billion) in New York alone during the half-year period — part of a Group-wide record of £5.05 billion.

The August 2025 PSC-approved NIMO rate case tells the story of where this money comes from. National Grid originally requested a $509.6 million electric delivery increase (25.5%) and $156.5 million gas delivery increase (29.7%). The PSC cut these by roughly two-thirds for the first year but still approved substantial increases: $167.3 million in Year 1, $297.4 million in Year 2, and $243.4 million in Year 3 for electric alone, adding approximately $25/month to a typical residential bill over three years. The allowed return on equity is 9.50% upstate and 9.35% downstate — guaranteed profit on every dollar of capital investment.

Natural gas dependence is the cost problem Langworthy wants to deepen

NYISO states unequivocally that natural gas prices are “the most significant driver of wholesale electricity costs” in the state. About 49% of New York’s electricity comes from natural gas, making the state acutely vulnerable to price swings.

Henry Hub prices swung from $2.03/MMBtu in 2020 to $6.45 in 2022 to $2.10 in 2024 to a $30.72 single-day spike in January 2026 — a 15-fold range in six years.

Meanwhile, new wind and solar are now cheaper than new natural gas plants on a levelized cost basis. Lazard’s 2025 LCOE analysis shows unsubsidized onshore wind at $37–$86/MWh and utility-scale solar at $38–$78/MWh, compared to gas combined cycle at $48–$109/MWh. NYISO itself has acknowledged that diversifying generation “could help stabilize — and potentially lower — energy costs.”

The NRG Dunkirk saga is more complex than Langworthy and Borrello admit

The 600–635 MW coal-fired plant was mothballed in March 2012 because it was “not currently economic.” The gas repower failed due to a federal lawsuit by Entergy Corp., expired interconnection rights, $115 million in newly required grid upgrades, and NRG’s own business decision to walk away — not because of clean energy mandates.

Today, NRG still privately owns the 76-acre site but has been unresponsive to media. NRG reported $3.3 billion in adjusted EBITDA in 2023 (on $28.8 billion in revenue) but pays only $420,000/year in local PILOT payments.

National Grid’s executives prosper while customers can’t pay

National Grid’s own 2024/25 Annual Report reveals a striking contrast. CEO John Pettigrew received total remuneration of £6.097 million ($8.2 million), while the company’s own scorecard acknowledged that customer satisfaction targets for New York “were not met” partly due to the impact of high bills for residential customers.

The 2025 Directors’ Remuneration Policy increased the maximum annual bonus opportunity from 125% to 200% of salary and raised the long-term incentive plan cap from 350% to 400% of salary for the CEO. The CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio stands at 85:1.

Langworthy’s energy record and financial ties

His lifetime League of Conservation Voters score is 3%, with a 2024 score of 0%. His reported $66,466 in oil and gas industry campaign contributions places him among the sector’s notable congressional recipients. His Energy Choice Act (H.R. 3699) would prohibit states or localities from restricting energy connections by type or source — directly targeting New York’s All-Electric Buildings Act.

Sources

NY PSC · NYISO · National Grid HY 2025/26 Results · National Grid Annual Report 2024/25 · Directors’ Remuneration Report · Lazard LCOE+ 2025 · EIA · LCV · OpenSecrets · NY Dept of Public Service

Last updated: February 20, 2026