U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright was in the Hudson Valley on Monday.

"The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will use up to $42 million in Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III funding to advance the development of a proposed 125-mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York," a press release stated.

That announcement was made in Dover Plains, New York.

“Despite America having an abundant supply of low-cost natural gas, tens of millions of Americans have limited access to this reliable energy source due to a lack of pipeline infrastructure,” said Wright.

Rep. Mike Lawler and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum were also there.

"We have among the highest energy prices anywhere in the country. We want to get the Constitution Pipeline approved and moving. This is critical to our energy infrastructure, critical to New York in terms of utility prices," said Lawler.

Utility costs and affordability are a concern for many voters.

Lawler and his democratic opponent, Cait Conley, have talked about the costs while on the campaign trail for New York's 17th congressional district seat.

"We need to be investing in cleaner, smarter and more efficient forms of energy. We have to develop more energy. We have to generate more," said Conley during a News 12 debate.

News 12 reached out to Conley's team Monday about the announcement.

"Cait Conley will hold monopoly utility companies accountable by mandating rates be tied to better services, preventing them from passing unnecessary costs on to customers, and capping CEO bonuses, so that they can no longer exploit Hudson Valley households or harm the environment," a spokesperson wrote in a statement.