ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration sees no reasonable way for New York to achieve its climate law targets on schedule.
NYSERDA, the state’s energy authority, released a draft State Energy Plan on Monday that outlines the current energy mix, potential future scenarios and actions to get there. The proposed draft plan — poised for approval to be released for public comment on Wednesday — focuses on supporting continued economic growth and ensuring affordability while still making progress on clean energy priorities amid federal headwinds.
Hochul (D) and her top energy officials have been signaling more openness to a continued role for natural gas in the state’s energy mix, potentially including new pipelines. She’s also pivoted to focus on nuclear, ordering the New York Power Authority to build at least 1 gigawatt of new nuclear energy, while the state’s renewable energy efforts face hostility from President Donald Trump.
Why it matters: The preferred path in the draft plan is “additional action,” which it characterizes as “a forward-looking scenario that is consistent with ambitious but achievable progress.” This pathway does not achieve the goals set in the state’s climate law on schedule.
