ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s success in weakening New York’s climate law will have a cascading impact on the state’s energy policies.
The changes Hochul secured in the budget shift the battlefield for environmental advocates, utilities, power generators and large energy users and spark a new round of regulatory fights. The governor’s push gives her administration more time and flexibility to determine how to move away from fossil fuels.
The statutory 2030 emissions reduction goal is no longer enforceable, the 2040 benchmark is more of a guidepost than a mandatory target and regulations to slash pollution aren’t due until the end of 2028.
Environmental groups, still reeling from the bitter defeat in the budget fight, seem to be largely pinning their hopes on that 2028 deadline. They’re pushing to get a cap-and-trade-style program to put a price on pollution and invest revenues in clean energy priorities as soon as possible.
