Photo courtesy of New York Communities for Change
NY-17 residents call for better leadership, protest Lawler for pushing dirty, expensive fossil fuel projects
Hudson Valley residents and community groups gathered Tuesday at Pugsley Park in Peekskill to protest Congressman Mike Lawler for increasing their utility bills and making their lives even more unaffordable.
Holding signs and banners, protestors demanded better leadership because Lawler – a former fossil fuel lobbyist who has accepted major donations from Big Oil & Gas – has driven their energy costs through the roof with his actions. They cited his record of voting to cut clean energy tax credits, standing behind President Trump’s war on Iran, and supporting the HR 1 bill that increases expensive oil and gas dependence.
Now, Lawler refuses to oppose another fossil fuel project that Peekskill residents would be forced to pay for – a fracked gas pipeline expansion dubbed “Project Beacon.” The effort is just the latest rebrand of fossil fuel giant Enbridge’s proposed pipeline that would drive up already-high utility bills and increase dangerous, climate-heating pollution.
Less than three years ago, Enbridge introduced the “Project Maple” pipeline expansion, which residents and elected officials spent years fighting and soundly defeated in 2025. Enbridge is now attempting to resurrect the project under a new name, but with the same dire effects on the surrounding community. Not only do fossil fuel projects like this threaten the climate and raise energy bills, they are now being used primarily to expand AI data centers.
“Families in Peekskill and beyond are tired of having to choose between paying for electricity, putting food on the table, or keeping a roof over our heads. We cannot continue having Congressman Lawler side with Big Tech and Big Oil, who threaten to lock our community into more costly fossil fuel infrastructure that will ultimately serve energy-hungry AI data centers,” said Santosh Nandabalan, Organizing Director at New York Communities for Change. “We don’t need another Enbridge pipeline expansion; we need clean, affordable energy bills and we need Lawler to stand with our community or stand aside.”
“Former utility lobbyist Mike Lawler earned big bucks pushing the expansion of natural gas infrastructure, which has pushed up our home energy costs. In Congress, he continues to do the bidding of the fossil fuel industry. He has done nothing to stop Trump’s attacks on renewable energy generation, undermining our efforts to get low-cost energy into the grid,” said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, who attended the action. “Mike Lawler has worked to raise our bills at every turn. We deserve better.”
Peekskill community members and their allies were united in their call for Lawler to stop supporting dirty, costly fossil fuel projects that will raise their already-high utility bills and feed dangerous AI data centers. Instead, they demanded he oppose the project and support clean energy.
“For years, Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam communities have been fighting against proposed expansions to the so-called Algonquin Pipeline because of its enormous safety, environmental, and health risks, being so close to the Hudson River and the decommissioning Indian Point nuclear plant. Not only that, but we know that the cost of building fracked gas pipelines gets piled onto ratepayers, regardless of whether they use the gas or not. Twelve Westchester municipalities and Rockland County have said ‘no’ to any expansion to the dirty fracked gas pipeline to protect ratepayers from unnecessary rate increases. We now call on Rep. Lawler to speak out against this dangerous proposal and reject the use of one of the most expensive forms of energy – fracked gas,” said Melissa Hoffmann, NY Organizer at Food & Water Watch.
The protest included Peekskill residents and activists with New York Communities for Change, Climate Families Westchester, United for Clean Energy, Stop Algonquin Pipeline Expansion, Food & Water Watch, Popular Democracy, and other community groups.
“Moms and kids from Climate Families Westchester are out here today because we are paying more and more and more for gas even as it’s clear we need to ween off dirty, expensive fossil fuels,” said Shokoofeh Rajabzedeh from Climate Families Westchester. “And even though there’s so much innovation and technology for affordable clean energy in Westchester, our rep Mike Lawler repeatedly chooses to support projects and pipelines that only make our lives less affordable. We can’t afford it and demand better leadership now.”
Motivating Peekskill residents was their feeling of being fed up with energy bills that have skyrocketed alongside rent, grocery, and insurance costs. That’s why at Tuesday’s protest, they called for a Congressmember who will lower their bills and cut pollution, not side with Big Tech and Big Oil interests who will profit at their expense.
With gas at $4 a gallon, up more than $1 compared to a year ago, families are being squeezed, protestors emphasized. They called out Congressman Lawler for supporting President Trump even as he started a war in Iran that’s costing lives, unleashing horror, and raising gas prices. The President promised to cut utility costs in half within his first year back in office – yet in 2026, electric bills are higher than ever and Republicans like Lawler are taking actions that make sure they’ll stay expensive for years to come.
“Month after month, I have to do the impossible to keep up with the bills. With groceries, insurance, and energy costs going up, there’s only so much a family can handle. We need leaders who are going to fight to make life more affordable, not support expensive fossil fuel projects that will push our utility bills even higher. Congressman Lawler should be listening to the people who are struggling to pay their bills—not the fossil fuel companies that stand to profit. We need clean, affordable energy and a government that puts working families first,” said Mia Coronel with Popular Democracy.
“Maybe Mike Lawler’s billionaire donors aren’t having trouble buying groceries, filling up their cars or heating their houses, but his constituents here in the Hudson Valley certainly are. We need someone in Congress who will listen to our problems – not to people asking for another tax break,” said Peekskill resident Nancy Vann.