New York poised to miss more climate deadlines
Five years after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a landmark climate measure, New York is on track to miss most of the looming targets the legislation set.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration acknowledged in a July 1 report that the state was not going to meet the 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030 target — as offshore wind projects and upstate wind and solar development have faltered.
But the state is also poised to miss several other targets — either in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or set by Hochul or her predecessor— as costs for clean energy projects rise and the Covid-19 pandemic halted some construction efforts.
Environmental advocates worry Hochul won’t commit the resources needed to get New York on track to slash emissions and avoid the worsening impacts of climate change.
“How many heat waves are we going to experience, and how many people are going to die in those heat waves?” said Jessica Azulay, program director of Alliance for a Green Economy. “We're in a race against time, and we can't really negotiate with greenhouse gas emissions.”
New York is expected to miss targets for energy efficiency, energy storage and electrification of vehicles and homes. Overall, the state as of 2021 had only reduced emissions 10 percent from the 1990 baseline. Much more progress will be needed to meet the 2030 target of a 40 percent reduction in the climate law.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris pointed to the accelerating pace of adoption for heat pumps and electric vehicles as a sign that the state's making headway.
“We have moved these markets in a very significant way,” Harris said in an interview. “The whole reason for setting goals … is to provide market sizing for the private sector to respond to.”
Environmental advocates who backed the climate law are concerned Hochul is not committed enough to accomplishing the targets.
"There have been legitimate challenges with Covid and inflation and shifts in the national and international market, but at the end of the day the governor has not prioritized funding and implementing the law," said Stephan Edel, coalition coordinator for NY Renews, which pushed for passage of the CLCPA and has been pressing for more funding to reduce emissions.