The Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council says it is rescinding its endorsement of Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha, pointing to her support for a government takeover of Central Hudson and her opposition to expanding nuclear power in New York. The council announced the move this week, framing it as a response to concerns raised by fellow labor organizations rather than a snap decision.
In a statement, the council said the move came “after several conversations with our brothers and sisters in labor, such as IBEW Local 320,” according to Empire Report. IBEW Local 320 represents hundreds of union workers at Central Hudson and has previously fought Shrestha's municipal-utility push through the group Protect Our Power, according to WAMC. Shrestha, a Democratic Socialist representing New York's 103rd Assembly district, is a cosponsor of the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act, the same outlet reports.
Why the Council Says Municipalization Worries Its Members
The trades council argued that Shrestha's support for municipalizing Hudson Valley utilities “creates significant uncertainty for the men and women whose livelihoods depend directly and indirectly upon the utility industries continued investment,” per the Empire Report statement. The council also said Shrestha described her proposed takeover as a “test project” that could serve as a model for a statewide takeover — language the council cited as part of its rationale for cutting ties.
The proposed Hudson Valley Power Authority would replace Central Hudson Gas and Electric with a publicly owned utility. According to the New York State Senate's bill text, the authority would be empowered to own and operate electricity service and to create or acquire subsidiaries. A description from the New York State Assembly characterizes the measure as establishing a publicly owned and democratically controlled power authority to replace Central Hudson, with the authority empowered to acquire and operate it, per a separate Assembly description of Shrestha's legislation.
Nuclear Power Becomes a Flashpoint
Beyond the utility takeover, the council cited Shrestha's opposition to the build-out of nuclear energy in New York as another sticking point. The council's statement argued that “nuclear energy projects create union jobs and a more reliable energy grid for New Yorkers,” tying its endorsement criteria directly to which energy projects generate work for its members.
The council made clear that voting record alone would not secure its backing going forward, stating that “a strong labor voting record, while important and appreciated, does not by itself guarantee the endorsement of HVBCTC.” It said it will instead weigh where elected officials stand on “projects that create employment opportunities for our members,” and warned it may withhold support from policies that “causes unnecessarily delays, restrictions, or stalls for responsible construction and economic development.”
A Coalition With a Track Record on Energy Projects
The Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council describes itself as a coalition of 28 labor unions in the statement announcing the Shrestha rescission, though a separate announcement about a battery-storage project in the Town of Ulster described the council as representing 29 local unions — a discrepancy the available records do not resolve. Earlier this year, the council signed a memorandum of agreement with Terra-Gen to use Hudson Valley union labor on a proposed battery energy storage system, according to Ulster Clean Energy, which also cited Electric Power Research Institute data showing battery-storage incidents worldwide dropped 97 percent between 2018 and 2023.
That agreement illustrates the kind of project the council says it wants more of: union-built energy infrastructure with a clear construction payoff. Business and union opposition to the Central Hudson takeover more broadly has centered on the utility's existing capital investments, which rely on local labor and union contractors already working in the region, as laid out in a separate statement published by Empire Report.
The Numbers Driving the Fight Over Central Hudson
The underlying dispute over Central Hudson has been fueled by sharply different numbers on both cost and savings. Central Hudson customers in Ulster County pay 31.23 cents per kilowatt hour, a rate reported as 90 percent higher than the national average, according to Hudson Valley One. A study backed by Hudson Valley for Public Power estimated a public authority could save customers $15.2 million in its first year and $210.5 million annually by year 30, per the Highlands Current.
Competing estimates on the cost of a takeover tell a very different story. A Concentric Energy Advisors study put the initial cost at roughly $7 billion as of June 2028, with additional gas-to-electric conversion costs on top, according to Mid Hudson News. An industry-backed study cited by the Highlands Current put the figure as high as $12.2 billion. The two estimates come from different studies with different assumptions, and nothing in the available record establishes which projection is more reliable.
The trades council's statement said Shrestha “turned her back on working families” by backing initiatives the council views as misaligned with its mission of advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions and growing union jobs. The council, led by president Todd DiOrio, says it represents building and construction trades across the Hudson Valley and frames its endorsement reversal as part of ensuring union workers have a voice in which energy projects move forward.
