Gov. Kathy Hochul once blocked two gas power plants and championed New York’s trailblazing effort to combat climate change.
But as she prepares for what’s expected to be a tough reelection battle next year, Hochul (D) has steered a monumental pivot on energy policy.
On Friday, Hochul approved a new gas pipeline championed by President Donald Trump and cut a deal that will keep a gas-fueled cryptocurrency miner running for five more years. The two decisions have sparked outrage from the progressive environmental wing of her party — with three climate-focused groups pointedly endorsing her primary opponent this week.
“She did not just approve a fossil fuel project. She made a moral choice,” Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D), who is primarying Hochul, said on Monday. “New Yorkers deserve a governor who does not treat the climate crisis as a PR problem, but as a test of moral leadership.”
