Hochul’s climate law delay confounds environmentalists, Dems

Governor Kathy Hochul has urged New York state lawmakers to delay emission mandates in the state's landmark climate law, citing warnings about severe spikes in utility and gas bills. However, environmentalists and Democratic legislative leaders have pushed back, arguing that the governor is using the global volatility of fossil fuels as an excuse to gut environmental protections behind the scenes. Business coalitions and trade groups have also argued that climate mandates are crushing the state economy, while advocates warn that waiting to jettison fossil fuels hurts Black and brown communities.

Governor Kathy Hochul has urged New York state lawmakers to delay emission mandates in the state's landmark climate law, citing warnings about severe spikes in utility and gas bills. However, environmentalists and Democratic legislative leaders have pushed back, arguing that the governor is using the global volatility of fossil fuels as an excuse to gut environmental protections behind the scenes. Business coalitions and trade groups have also argued that climate mandates are crushing the state economy, while advocates warn that waiting to jettison fossil fuels hurts Black and brown communities.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Governor Kathy Hochul visited Tonawanda on Monday morning to urge state lawmakers to delay emission mandates in New York’s landmark climate law, repeating warnings about severe spikes in utility and gas bills. Environmentalists and Democratic legislative leaders have pushed back, arguing that the governor is using the global volatility of fossil fuels as an excuse to gut environmental protections behind the scenes.

From a Sunoco gas station, Hochul again cited a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority analysis. It projected that the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will add $4,000 a year to heating bills upstate while raising gasoline prices by about $2.30 per gallon.

Passed in 2019, the CLCPA requires statewide emissions reductions, while the cap-and-invest regulatory program would cap pollution levels and charge corporate polluters to pay for clean energy projects. Asked what changes she would like to see made to the climate law, Hochul said, “We’ll be announcing them this week.”

The push for climate delays follows a state supreme court ruling last year that the Hochul administration violated the CLCPA by failing to release required emissions regulations. Attorneys and climate groups suing the state—including Earthjustice, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice—are holding a briefing Tuesday morning to address what they........

© The Hill