Environmental advocates worry Hochul may pause another major policy
Environmental advocates are worried about the future of one of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature policies, following her suspension of congestion pricing.
Hochul has touted a cap-and-trade program, dubbed “cap and invest,” to limit emissions and achieve the state’s climate goals. But she’s previously raised concerns about the program’s costs, fueling environmental advocates’ wariness about her commitment to a policy she could unilaterally delay.
"This sends a signal that the governor won't support measures that cost people money, and 'cap and invest' will inevitably cost a lot of people a fair amount of money,” said Michael Gerrard, the director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University in New York.
And Justin Wilcox of Upstate United, a business group, noted Hochul’s fiscal worries with congestion pricing could extend to this policy.