Hochul backs off New York’s aggressive climate timeline

The Democratic governor’s step back marks a major shift in climate politics amid rising energy costs across the country.

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ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday she wants to rewrite New York’s nation-leading climate law, arguing the state needs more time to meet its aggressive goals amid rising energy prices and a legal challenge.

Speaking at POLITICO’s New York Agenda: Albany Summit, the governor said the state’s 2019 climate law — which mandates drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions — was written before the pandemic, inflation and supply chain challenges reshaped the economic landscape. Facing federal hostility to clean energy policies, the moderate Democrat said she had no choice but to ask for more time to reach the law’s targets.

“This is not the world I wanted. I would have loved to have been the governor that said, ‘Hey, I met all those goals. We did it, we did it, we did it,’” Hochul said during the event near the state Capitol in Albany. “We just need some breathing room.”

© Politico