Credit: Getty Images.

Six years ago, New York passed a landmark law to dramatically rein in greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this century. Yet the state keeps going out of its way to violate both the spirit and the letter of that law.

From missing mandatory deadlines to encouraging even more use of fossil fuels to delaying implementation of a ban on oil and gas appliances, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration seems to be happy to tout itself as a climate leader even as it dodges the sorts of hard choices and tough actions that the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act demands.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

The latest of those violations came in a one-two punch.

First, the Department of Environmental Conservation approved the Northeast Supply Enhancement, a pipeline for fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania to an offshore transfer point near Queens. The line will increase supply for New York City and Long Island.

The move is doubly hypocritical. Keeping the gas supply abundant will make it that much harder to wean New Yorkers off fossil fuels as........

© Times Union