NY Republicans Demand Transparency on Renewable Energy Projects

Lawmakers seek details on wind, solar, and battery storage plans that could impact protected lands and farmland

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:20pm

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A group of New York state Senate Republicans, led by Senator Tom O'Mara, have sent a letter to the state's Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) requesting comprehensive information on wind, solar, battery energy storage, and other renewable energy projects currently under review, pending approval, or anticipated for approval - particularly those that could affect protected lands, environmentally sensitive areas, and regulated agricultural resources across the state.

Why it matters

The Republican lawmakers have raised concerns that the state's fast-tracked renewable energy siting process, enabled by the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and the 2024 Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act, gives ORES broad authority to overrule local zoning and environmental regulations, potentially putting prime farmland and natural habitats at risk. They are calling for more transparency and accountability from ORES to ensure renewable development proceeds responsibly.

The details

In their letter, the Senate Republicans requested that ORES provide comprehensive information on all wind, solar, battery storage, and other renewable energy projects 'currently under review, pending approval, or anticipated for approval' - especially those that could impact protected lands, environmentally sensitive areas, and agricultural resources. They argued that given ORES' broad authority to supersede local zoning and environmental laws, the agency must be held to high standards of transparency, consistency, and adherence to established protections.

  • The Senate Republican letter was sent in April 2026.

The players

Tom O'Mara

A New York state senator and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

Rob Ortt

The Senate Republican Leader in New York.

Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES)

The state agency created under the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to oversee the review and approval of renewable energy projects in New York.

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What they’re saying

“We have to be realistic about harvesting green energy and the environmental impacts it can have. The Senate GOP has long stood for an all-of-the-above approach to powering New York State, and advocates for doing so responsibly. But, we have serious concerns when an unelected agency fast tracks the eradication of farmland, grasslands, forests, and other protected areas to make way for solar farms with little to no oversight. ORES needs to be held accountable, and given guardrails to prevent the future destruction of New York's natural beauty and agriculture.”

— Rob Ortt, Senate Republican Leader

“Albany Democrats have given ORES broad authority over the siting of wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects throughout New York State. This authority includes the power to overrule local decision-making, which has raised serious concerns among local residents, local governments, and local environmental stakeholders, particularly in rural, upstate New York regions where many of these projects are being sited. We believe it's critically important that ORES is fully accountable and transparent, and that its actions remain fully in line with strict environmental standards, sensitive to local concerns, and don't put at risk prime agricultural land and other natural resources.”

— Tom O'Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee

What’s next

The Senate Republicans are awaiting a response from ORES with the requested information on renewable energy projects across the state.

The takeaway

This letter highlights the ongoing tensions between state-level renewable energy goals and local concerns over the environmental and agricultural impacts of rapidly expanding wind, solar, and battery storage projects in New York. The Republican lawmakers are pushing for greater transparency and accountability from the state agency overseeing these developments.