Andrew Cuomo’s primary opponent says the Governor has failed to lead on the issue of hydraulic fracturing in New York State. Zephyr Teachout spoke to a crowd of 80 supporters Thursday at the Village Gate.
During the campaign visit, the democrat said the process of extracting natural gas from deep in the ground is has too many ecological risks.
“It's toxic for an agricultural economy, but I also think it's going to get in the way of the sustainable agriculture that we need. I support wineries. I support actually investing in the growing agrotourism. We can't have agrotourism, we can't have wineries if we also have hydro fracking,” said Teachout.
Teachout says she would prefer to see the state turn toward renewable energy.
“I don't know how many of you are familiar with Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson's effort to analyze New York and see how we could get to a 2030 renewable New York, building solar, wind, and water at the micro level. We can do it, but it takes an investment and it takes a commitment. And it takes a commitment away from fossil fuels,” Teachout told supporters.
The New York primary election for governor is September 9th.