During a recent heatwave, Governor Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to conserve energy, a suggestion that drew sharp criticism from Republicans. Her appeal for voluntary reductions in power usage, which included recommendations to set air conditioners between 75–78 degrees, avoid unnecessary appliance use, and turn off lights and electronics when not in use, was labeled as communist by some national Republican figures.
The Republican National Committee amplified this sentiment, posting Hochul’s tweet and claiming that “New York Democrat communists are now trying to force Americans to lower their quality of life because of their failed policies.” This reaction appears to be linked to recent primary election successes of candidates backed by democratic socialist groups in New York, which the GOP has portrayed as extremist. The RNC specifically stated that Hochul and other New York Democrats are shifting control from individuals to the government, asserting that communism involves removing individual choice and private ownership.
However, experts in political science and history explain that voluntary conservation efforts do not align with the characteristics of communist regimes. Brian D. Taylor, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, noted that communist governments typically employ more forceful methods to ensure compliance with state priorities. He pointed out that in historical communist states like the Soviet Union, utilities were state-owned and controlled, housing was state-allocated, and individuals had no control over their thermostats, contrasting sharply with Hochul’s “voluntary” request.
Matthew Lenoe, a history professor at the University of Rochester, added that in a communist system, utilities would be government-owned and energy rationed, likely through measures like rolling blackouts, leaving no room for individual choice. He emphasized that New York’s electric grid, in contrast, involves a mix of public and private ownership, and Hochul’s directive was a voluntary call for cooperation, not a mandate.
The practice of recommending energy conservation during extreme weather is not unique to New York or to the current administration. The U.S. Department of Energy has previously recommended setting thermostats to 78 degrees in warm weather when home, a guideline that has been featured on government websites. While some of these pages have since been removed, the recommendation itself is consistent with past advice.
During President Trump’s first term in 2019, the Department of Energy also highlighted the 78-degree guideline as a recommendation, emphasizing that Americans should set their thermostats to their chosen temperature. Furthermore, instances of Republican-led governments requesting power conservation exist. In Mississippi, the Department of Environmental Quality advises residents to set thermostats as high as comfort allows, recommending 78 degrees. In Texas in 2015, Governor Greg Abbott encouraged residents to power down electronics to ease strain on the electric grid. More recently, during a February cold spell in South Carolina, Republican Governor Henry McMaster advised residents to lower their thermostats, wear more clothing, and avoid running large appliances to reduce pressure on the state’s grid. In August 2003, during widespread blackouts in New York, Republican Governor George Pataki also urged viewers to conserve energy to aid restoration efforts.
Considering these points, the claim that Governor Hochul’s voluntary energy conservation request constitutes communism is unfounded. Academic experts clarify that such voluntary measures are distinct from the coercive control characteristic of communist systems. Moreover, the practice of recommending energy conservation during peak demand periods is a long-standing and bipartisan approach employed by various government entities across the United States.
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