Fox News Reports on Jordanville Monastery’s Opposition to Wind Project

JORDANVILLE, NY — Holy Trinity Monastery has drawn renewed attention to its opposition to nearby renewable energy projects after Fox News published a report on country singer John Rich’s criticism of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s energy policies and their effects on upstate communities.

The monastery said the Fox News coverage followed an October 15 roundtable held on its grounds with Rich, President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for American Landowners. The meeting addressed the effects of New York energy policies on the monastery and nearby property owners, including concerns about the proposed Rolling Hills Wind project.

In the Fox News interview, Rich criticized the state’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), which reviews major renewable energy and transmission projects. He argued that the agency’s authority to override certain local zoning restrictions leaves farmers and municipalities with insufficient control over land use. Rich also claimed that proposed solar developments across the region could cover more than 100 square miles.

Rich’s song “Dear Kathy,” released October 28, and its accompanying music video feature upstate landowners and Holy Trinity Monastery, which has opposed large wind projects near its grounds. The monastery has described the proposed developments as a threat to its future.

Hochul’s office disputed Rich’s criticism, maintaining that renewable energy projects are not taking over the state’s best farmland and that leasing land for solar development can help farmers retain family property.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Holy Trinity Monastery welcomed nearly 200 visitors to its first open house in a decade.