Circumventing New York's green energy grift: I went to Washington D.C. this week

After almost a year of covering wind and solar destruction in Upstate NY, I found myself eating lunch in the White House with ranchers from around the country there to defend their land.

I never imagined back in September 2025 when I first posted about the Fort Edward Solar hearing in the town over from mine that it would land me at a Washington D.C. press conference inside of the USDA.

I never imagined I’d have to travel to our nation’s capital to be heard in a way that not a single media outlet, reporter, agency, or bureaucrat is willing to hear me in New York State.

I had no idea just how extensive the rot in New York was, with green energy merely the Trojan horse for a much more nefarious land grab.

I didn’t know any of it. And you can see the proof of that if you watch my Reels I posted September through December of 2025. As I joke to those around me when I watch these old videos… “Oh you sweet, summer child.” I had so much to learn.

Early on I identified a major gap in the reporting world as it relates to environmental destruction in the name of “green energy progress.” If no one else was going to engage in boots-on-the-ground journalism as it relates to real-time habitat loss and species takes, then I’d be happy to fill that role.

I have spent, at minimum, two hours every single day, weekends included, since September 2025 learning, reading, and writing about what’s happening as a result of the 2019 Climate Act in New York State. I suppose that amount of time and effort, including testifying before the NYS Senate Energy Committee, engaging in oral arguments against six New York State attorneys (mind you, I am not an attorney), and filing two lawsuits through my nonprofit against the Office of Renewable Energy Siting, made it an inevitably that I would end up in Washington D.C. at a table of powerful people ready and willing to hear what I had to say.

I was joined by ranching families from Arizona, Utah, and Washington State that day in D.C., as the USDA had prepared a day surrounding “Lawfare” and the importance of defending our land as a nation.

Spending the day getting to know these ranchers, their homes, and their faith, I can honestly say, changed me as a person. I think I was the first person from New York, and the greater Northeast, that they had exchanged agricultural experiences with. That kind of cross-country communication is more than powerful - it’s essential. I have many stories from these conversations to share on here in the coming weeks.

I walked into the USDA that morning and was greeted by the fanciest conference room I have ever stepped foot in. Three chandeliers hung over a table that was prepared to seat close to 30 people. I would be lying if I said I was not incredibly nervous. Though I knew I was to be seated with likeminded people, I also knew this is probably the only chance New York State is going to get to secure help from the federal government with ORES.

I was not going to squander that opportunity.

Here is the event schedule if you are curious about the ranching families in attendance, as well as the attorneys, cabinet members, and congressional representatives.

We were asked to take our seats before Secretary Rollins, Administrator Loeffler, and John Rich entered the room. A few minutes later the three of them arrived, bringing an optimism and hope into the air that all of us trying to save our communities felt at ease with.

This was the first time I met my friend, Mr. Rich, in person. We had been texting and calling ever since we connected on X. John relayed the ORES information to the federal government, resulting in this letter that was sent to our governor last week. You all know how grateful I am to him.

They took their seats and the round table began. Secretary Rollins was superhuman. She hosted, sustained the meeting, knew every person’s name and backstory, and effortlessly took our information and shared it with the press. It was a masterclass of government communication in action. Those who sit in Albany, New York could only dream of the intellect, energy, and charisma that came with Secretary Rollins.

When it was my time to speak, for the first time in this solar battle, I had printed out a small speech I read from paper. There was so much I wanted to fit in to less than two-minutes that it was time to write it all down.

The USDA thanked me for what I have been doing and my tireless reporting from New York State. I am not going to lie… hearing an appreciation for the effort I have put in over here, finally, from media personnel and the national government felt damn good. It’s been a thankless journey from the communists running my state.

We were then ushered into the press room inside of the USDA where more than 40 people awaited our updates.

It felt surreal. At this point, I was trying to stay calm, cool, and collected, knowing Secretary Rollins was going to invite me to podium to read my speech again for the press. I was thinking to myself this entire time, “Alex, do not fall stepping down from this stage. Go slowly, Alex. Don’t rush over there.”

I went slowly and did not fall.

After we spoke, Secretary Rollins and Administrator Loeffler sat down at the table in front of us to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will allow the USDA to forward land grab submissions to the Small Business Administration that they can then relay to the appropriate federal agencies.

I was beyond proud to have been part of the USDA rollout of the Lawfare Portal, which anyone can now use at this time. John Rich tweeted the portal last month. I immediately filled out the form for Upstate NY - that was how I got into contact with John so quickly.

They have people reviewing the submissions through this portal daily. I cannot stress enough how critical and unusual a link like this is to the federal government. Use it! If you are experiencing solar, wind, corporate etc. sprawl onto your land, prime agricultural soils, and protected habitats, fill out the form.

After their signing, I recorded a few videos with John before a small group of us were invited to eat lunch at the Navy Mess in the White House.

As I always say: for the last year, I would have gone anywhere I was invited to share this message. I met with a Democratic Assemblywoman. I spoke to a bipartisan Senate Energy Committee. I spoke at press conferences alongside Bruce Blakeman. And I became friends with a country music legend.

The USDA, Secretary Rollins, and Washington D.C. law firms have been the first form of government to truly give me a seat at the table. If you don’t understand by now that I will do anything to save our Upstate NY land, rural culture and history, endangered species, and grasslands, then you haven’t been paying attention.

I could not have predicted, in a million years, that this is the form the help would be arriving in. I take people and groups as I find them. Though it’s a popular talking point to say “don’t trust the feds,” I am living in a reality where the “feds” are the ones willing to help me here. I ask that you keep an open mind to that. Perhaps everything that’s shared through Reddit channels and purchased media reporting doesn’t capture the whole picture.

To have that many people in genuine support of what I have been doing and the time, financial loss, and energy I have put into this… felt nice. More importantly, it felt hopeful. I made life-long friends that day. I now have many phone numbers to call if I ever need help up here. Feeling like I have been at this alone for so long… my nervous system is calmly at peace today. I am smiling as I write this.

There is much more to come. I am open to help in any form that it will arrive in.

We are all aware that the beast that is New York State is not an easy foe. But these people are fighters, and I suppose, I am, too.

FURTHER READING