Koch Industries

Fossil Fuel FunderDark Money ConduitDormant activityCross-state operator

Privately held energy and chemicals conglomerate

Wichita, KSFirst tracked March 1, 1998

Primary upstream funder in the traced NYS network. No direct appearances at any NYS proceeding; money reaches local groups through three intermediaries and never carries the Koch name at the town board.

Fossil incumbentsFree-market absolutists

Recommended engagement strategy

Upstream targeting. Brief business press and the funder's own commercial counterparties, not the town board.

Dark Money Conduit profile: Never appears locally. Upstream exposure to funders' own stakeholders is the lever.

Open counter-measure playbook

Hearing appearances

Never appears locally

Counties active

Albany, Orange

Projects opposed

Solar & storage dockets

Funding received

None

0 traced inbound edges

Funding given

$8.4M

4 traced outbound edges

Arguments logged

Top: Ratepayer Cost

Where They OperateCounties with a tracked filing, appearance, or monitored channel, and the specific project dockets involved.Counties with a tracked filing, appearance, or monitored channel, and the specific project dockets involved.

Counties

Albany6 ev.
Orange15 ev.
Erie3 ev.

Project dockets

Goshen Ridge SolarOrange Co.NO DOSSIER
Wilton Solar ProjectSaratoga Co.
Cambria SolarNiagara Co.NO DOSSIER

View on county map

What They Arguein funded materialsArgument classification from filings, testimony transcripts, and monitored posts. Counts are statements, not documents.Argument classification from filings, testimony transcripts, and monitored posts. Counts are statements, not documents.

Ratepayer Cost5 · 45.5%
Home Rule / Preemption3 · 27.3%
Property Value Claims2 · 18.2%
Other / Unknown1 · 9.1%

Most-repeated claim

“Ratepayers absorb the cost and the town inherits the cleanup.”

Who They FundTraced grants, dues, contractor payments, and campaign contributions. Amounts come from 990 filings, grant letters, and NYS BOE data.Traced grants, dues, contractor payments, and campaign contributions. Amounts come from 990 filings, grant letters, and NYS BOE data.

Outbound

Open in funding network

Activity Log7 entriesChronological record assembled from hearing minutes, local law filings, 990 disclosures, and monitored channels.Chronological record assembled from hearing minutes, local law filings, 990 disclosures, and monitored channels.

990 filing reviewedMay 28, 2025Amended Form 990 discloses new grants tied to Albany County activity; original donor not named.
Grant agreement tracedMay 21, 2025Grant letter matched to a local committee active on Goshen Ridge Solar; purpose listed as “public education”.
Grant tranche releasedMay 9, 2025Second tranche released to an affiliate active against Goshen Ridge Solar; no NYS registration on file.
Donor-advised transferApr 24, 2025Transfer recorded through a donor-advised vehicle; the original contributor is not disclosed anywhere on the 990.
Affiliate spend reportedApr 2, 2025Affiliate reported Albany County field spending drawn from this grant cycle.
Model legislation fundedMar 18, 2025Grant cycle funded the model setback text now circulating in Albany and Orange counties.
First tracked activityMar 1, 1998Entered the monitor via a Albany County record referencing Wilton Solar Project.

Aliases & AffiliationsAlternate names seen in filings and the organizations this actor is formally or functionally tied to.Alternate names seen in filings and the organizations this actor is formally or functionally tied to.

Known aliases and filing names

Koch Companies Public Sector
KOCHPAC

Affiliations

Americans for Prosperity (national)
Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce
State Policy Network (donor)

Network position

Classified as a fossil fuel funder in the three-tier model, with 4 traced funding edges.