Sacramento policymakers aren’t the only ones concerned about the cost impact of climate mandates.
“Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday moved to alter and delay the implementation of New York State’s landmark 2019 climate law, which calls for gradually decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by certain deadlines.”
In an op-ed announcing her proposal, Hochul wrote:
“[T]he undeniable fact is we cannot meet the Climate Act’s 2030 targets without imposing new and additional crushing costs on New York businesses and residents.
… While I am still committed to working toward our targets, with all the stress our residents are under, New Yorkers expect their elected officials to prioritize affordability. They are suffering from high costs every single day and I for one will not ignore their cries for relief.”
Noting the cumulative impact of inflation, tariffs, war in the Middle East, and declining federal support for energy transition initiatives, Hochul said the state needed more time to meet its emission targets and called for “common-sense adjustments that keep us on our path to a greener future in a way that is affordable for New Yorkers.”
Hochul pointed to a February 2026 memo by the state Energy Research and Development Agency which found household energy bills would increase more than $4,000 per year upstate and $2,300 per year in New York City if the law was implemented as written. Gas prices would also jump an additional $2.23 per gallon.
How did New York’s climate ambition become an affordability crisis? According to the Progressive Policy Institute’s Neel Brown:
“New York set bold climate targets, but ignored the economic and technical realities required to achieve them. The result is an energy system that is less reliable, more expensive, and now politically unsustainable. Unless policymakers course correct, the state risks turning a climate leadership story into a cautionary tale.”
Governor Hochul is realigning climate policies to her state’s energy and cost realities. Sacramento should read the room and do the same.
