Country music star John Rich is voicing strong opposition to New York Governor Kathy Hochul's renewable energy policies, claiming they undermine farmers and local control in upstate New York. Rich, a member of the duo Big & Rich, has joined landowners, activists, and officials in challenging the state's Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES).
Rich's new song, "Dear Kathy," directly addresses the governor, with lyrics suggesting her administration's policies are detrimental to family farms, rural communities, and private property rights. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rich questioned Hochul's motives, asking, "Why do you hate these people so much?" He cited concerns that large-scale solar and wind projects, potentially covering over 100 square miles, are being prioritized at the expense of agricultural land.
At the heart of the dispute is New York's centralized permitting system for major renewable energy projects, established under former Governor Andrew Cuomo. ORES oversees projects capable of generating 25 megawatts or more. While the agency's rules encourage developers to avoid prime agricultural soils, they also grant ORES the power to override local zoning and land-use restrictions deemed "unreasonably burdensome." Critics argue this centralizes too much power with state officials, limiting local community input.
Rich specifically criticized a redefinition of "prime farmland" by Hochul's administration, which he contends makes it easier for renewable energy projects to be sited on agricultural land. "They just redefined it. They just came up with a whole new equation and determined, well, based on these new numbers, there’s really no such thing as prime farmland anymore in upstate New York," Rich stated.
He accused Hochul's administration of enacting policies that "run right over the top" of local opposition and represent a "complete and total chokeout" of farmers. Rich highlighted that some affected farms have been in families for generations, predating the Revolutionary War, and expressed dismay at what he described as an "assault on their land and on them and on their legacies."
Governor Hochul's office, through senior communications adviser Ken Lovett, pushed back on Rich's criticism. Lovett suggested Rich could better help farmers by writing songs urging former President Donald Trump to lift tariffs, end actions impacting gas prices, and halt ICE raids, which he argued are also hurting farmers.
Rich stated he became aware of the issue through social media and visited upstate New York to see the situation firsthand. He held town hall meetings, including one at a landowner's farm, where he engaged with farmers and landowners, including members of the Amish community. These interactions inspired him to write "Dear Kathy."
"Dear Kathy" was officially released on October 28th with a music video featuring affected areas and local landowners. Rich described the song as a "fight song" for the farmers, emphasizing that the issue is not partisan, but rather concerns fundamental property rights and local autonomy.
Despite his criticisms, Rich expressed openness to meeting with Governor Hochul to discuss the landowners' concerns directly. He stated he would "jump on the next thing smoking" to meet with her and ask questions about the constitutionality and fairness of the state's approach to land use and renewable energy siting.