New York's top utility regulator Rory Christian acknowledges the transition to cleaner and renewable forms of energy in the coming decades and how that will affect ratepayers in New York will present complications. 

"I think that might be one of many challenges we have to face and we're going to need to look at this from a variety of different perspectives," he said. "It's going to require an all-of-government solution." 

New York state officials and lawmakers want a future powered by renewable energy. But how this could ultimately affect the bills New Yorkers pay remains unclear under an effort to curtail the effects of climate change. 

State lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday took stock of utility costs facing New Yorkers, with spikes over the last several years attributed in part to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia as well as increasingly extreme weather.

But looming over the conversation has been the future: ending the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels. New Yorkers may not be aware of what this will all mean, Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski said. 

"The average person out there that's just paying their bill, I don't think they've really understood this yet," he said.

All-electric building construction rules for new homes and buildings under seven stories will take effect starting next year. The provision has raised questions over energy transmission and reliability as gas appliances are also phased out. 

"We can't just be in one camp or the other," Zebrowski said. "We need to guarantee reliability. We need to make sure we're transitioning to clean energy, and we need to affect these affordability issues for consumers."

But lawmakers, including Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, can also point to the effect on the economy, especially in upstate communities. The construction and shipment of offshore wind components to Long Island is expected to create 500 jobs in Albany alone. 

The state is backing massive off-shore wind projects in order to meet key energy benchmarks. 

"Those should not be temporary jobs, those should be permanent jobs," she said. "New York state wants to build massive off-shore wind projects off the coast of Long Island in order to meet key benchmarks."