Governor Kathy Hochul has made energy affordability a centerpiece of her political platform this year, blasting proposed utility rate hikes and even promising to “slow down” implementation of the state’s climate law over the concern that the clean energy transition is costing New Yorkers too much.

But Hochul’s administration is slashing an energy affordability program that was once a priority for the governor, New York Focus has learned.

The Empower+ program was designed specifically to help low- and moderate-income households “save energy and money” through energy efficiency upgrades. Since 2023 — at Hochul’s initiative — it has been New York’s one-stop shop to help residents take advantage of green building upgrades they might not otherwise be able to afford, like better insulation and replacing old boilers.

Two health care companies are positioned to keep tens of millions of dollars that are meant to benefit the army of low-wage home health aides who care for disabled and elderly New Yorkers.

The first company, Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL), recently took over New York’s state-funded home health program. The second, health insurer Leading Edge Administrators, was hired by PPL to provide insurance and other benefits to the hundreds of thousands of workers — mostly women and immigrants — who provide the home care. The new coverage began in May.

A New York Focus investigation has found that Leading Edge has championed a business model allowing the employers they work with to keep money that should legally go to their workers.