John Rich says Kathy Hochul is running over NY farmers with renewable energy agenda
John Rich says Kathy Hochul is running over NY farmers with renewable energy agenda
John Rich is blasting New York Gov. Kathy Hochul over the states renewable energy policies, accusing her administration of silencing farmers and overriding local officials in upstate New York.
The 52-year-old Big & Rich member has publicly joined local landowners, activists and officials who are challenging New Yorks Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), a state agency that reviews and permits major renewable energy and transmission projects.
Last month, Rich released his new country song "Dear Kathy," which is directed at the Democratic governor, who is running for reelection. In the song, Rich speaks on behalf of farmers and landowners who are protesting large-scale solar and wind projects on upstate New York farmland, arguing that ORES has undermined local control and put family farms, rural communities and private property rights at risk.
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During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Rich shared his message for Hochul, pointing to the final line of "Dear Kathy," which asks, "Why do you hate these people so much?"
"What have they ever done to you except pay taxes and put food on your table? Thats it," Rich said.
"Why do you hate these people?" he continued. "Because only somebody that has a vindictive spirit would do what shes doing to them — or greed."
"I think greed is probably the largest driver in it because these companies that are coming in, building these huge fields. Listen, if you add up all the plans they have coming into upstate New York, its over 100 square miles of solar panels," Rich added.
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The conflict centers on New Yorks centralized permitting system for large-scale solar and wind projects. Created in 2020 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, ORES generally handles renewable energy projects capable of producing 25 megawatts or more. Its rules encourage developers to avoid the states most productive agricultural soils and require them to minimize or mitigate impacts when farmland cannot be avoided.
ORES can also waive local zoning and land-use restrictions it deems "unreasonably burdensome," a power that critics argue gives state officials too much control over farmland and leaves local communities with limited say over projects in their areas.
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While speaking with Fox News Digital, Rich claimed Hochuls administration used research from Cornell University to change how prime farmland is defined. The singer argued that the move made it easier for solar and wind projects to be built on agricultural land.
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"She decided she didnt like their definition of prime farmland because if its prime, its protected from solar and wind and projects like that," Rich said. "So they just redefined it. They just came up with a whole new equation and determined, well, based on these new numbers, theres really no such thing as prime farmland anymore in upstate New York. So we can do whatever the hell we want to t
