Country star John Rich slams Hochul’s renewable energy agenda, defends NY farmers: ‘Takes away our voice’

Country singer John Rich has criticised New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s renewable energy policies, saying state permitting rules leave farmers and local officials with too little say over large solar and wind projects. His intervention adds a high-profile voice to a dispute over how the state balances clean-energy development with farmland protection, local control and property rights.

New York’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting, created in 2020, generally reviews projects capable of producing at least 25 megawatts and can waive local zoning rules it considers unreasonably burdensome. Rich says proposed solar developments could cover more than 100 square miles and accuses the administration of changing how prime farmland is defined; these are his claims. The state says projects are not taking over its best farmland and that leasing land for solar can help farmers.