ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday that she rejected a push from President Donald Trump to allow fracking for natural gas.
The Democratic governor is pushing to change New York’s 2019 climate law, seeking to weaken the deadline to reduce emissions substantially by 2030. Hochul has pointed to factors including the pandemic, inflation and supply chain woes for driving higher costs for projects and putting the goals farther out of reach.
She’s also blamed Trump’s antipathy toward clean energy, including efforts to block offshore wind and eliminate tax credits for renewables. Hochul said she told the president “no” on fracking while talking about the challenges to New York’s climate efforts.
“He’s real unhappy with us because I won’t do fracking again. Yes, the fracking debate is alive and well in his head,” Hochul said. “I am in the middle of fights that no one seems to have an appreciation for.”
