New York state Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra announced committee post changes following his election to be the new Republican leader in the chamber earlier this week.
After his promotion, Ra appointed state Assemblyman Phil Palmesano to take his place as the new ranking member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
Ra on Thursday announced that Assemblyman Scott Gray would replace Palmesano as the new ranking member of the Assembly Energy Committee. Gray has represented the 116th Assembly District since 2023, which is comprised of parts Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to lead our Conference’s energy policy agenda as the new ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy,” Gray said in a statement. “We are at a crossroads in this state; policies in Albany continue to strain the capabilities of our energy grid while pushing energy costs higher, forcing consumers to choose between buying groceries or heating their homes. I look forward to working with my colleagues to implement an energy strategy that prioritizes ratepayers, affordability, reliability and sustainability over political posturing.”
In addition, Ra has appointed Assemblyman Paul Bologna as a new member of the Energy Committee. Bologna has represented the 144th Assembly District since 2025, which includes parts of Erie and Niagara counties.
“I’m grateful to Leader Ed Ra for appointing me to the Assembly Energy Committee, and I want to recognize former Ranker Phil Palmesano for his immense knowledge and leadership, as well as our new Ranker, Scott Gray, who I look forward to working with,” Bologna said in a statement. Frankly, New Yorkers aren’t confused, they’re angry. We are opening our energy bills and seeing the consequences of a grid under strain. This stems from policies that ignore physics, ignore capacity, ignore reality and we are the ones left picking up the tab. I’m here to fight for accountability and common sense, because pretending this isn’t a crisis is no longer an option.”
Ra was elected Monday to replace Will Barclay as Assembly minority leader, who announced he would not seek reelection this year and would step down from leadership.
“Energy costs and reliability are on the mind of every New Yorker, and among the most pressing issues facing Albany this year,” Ra said in a statement. “The Assembly Energy Committee will be essential to identifying solutions for the problems at hand. I’m proud to appoint Scott Gray as the ranking minority member and happy to name Paul Bologna to this important committee. Their expertise and dedication will strengthen our Conference’s efforts to deliver cost-effective energy initiatives that put consumers first.