Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - When it comes to, what some Republican lawmakers feel are, "top down" energy-driven mandates from Albany, they think the decisions should be more local and not statewide.
That's the opinion of the four Republican members of the Erie County Legislature.
The four - led by Lindsay Lorigo - are pushing for a policy shift where energy-related decisions and mandates would come from local governments and not a "one-size-fits-all" approach from Albany.
"We have to stand up for our residents," Lorigo said.
Energy-driven mandates have resulted in astronomically high utility bills and have become a major political talking point.
The GOP-backed proposal was sent to the legislature's Energy & Environment Committee for further review and discussion.
Lorigo hopes it comes up for a vote this spring.
Energy-driven mandates also come against the backdrop of a harsh winter where temperatures were 25% lower than normal this month.
Bans on fossil-fuel equipment in new construction is adding to the energy strain.
"Right now, people are opening their (utility) bills and seeing amounts and charges that are higher than they expected," Lorigo said.
The proposals under review mirror similar ones being championed in Albany by Assemblyman Paul Bologna and in Washington by Congressman Nick Langworthy.
"Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the bills for all the climate change mandates falls back to the consumer," Lorigo said. "It is becoming unaffordable in what is already an unaffordable state."