Albany, NY — James E. Hanley has joined the Empire Center for Public Policy as a senior policy analyst, focusing on energy and environmental policy.
Hanley has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oregon, and was Associate Professor of Political Science at Adrian College before joining the Empire Center. He has published in the American Political Science Review and the Journal of Private Enterprise along with other academic journals, and has written for the Foundation for Economic Education, the Liberty Fund, and the American Institute for Economic Research, where he recently served as an E. C. Harwood Visiting Fellow.
“New York State is embarking on a radical transformation of our economy in its transition to the use of alternative energy sources. Such a shift requires an independent voice to look out for the interests of working people who could be harmed by such a transition. I’m thrilled that James will be leading our efforts to analyze these new proposals through an objective, expert lens,” Tim Hoefer, President and CEO of the Empire Center, said.
Hanley will lead the Center’s work on energy and environment issues. That will include closely monitoring how the state proposes to implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), making sure the true costs are known, and suggesting alternative ways to achieve some of those goals.
“I look forward to scrutinizing New York’s energy and environmental policy alongside some of the best minds in the state,” said Hanley. “I’m proud to help the Empire Center expand its areas of expertise and work towards protecting both the economy and the environment.”
###
The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.
As Governor Hochul and legislative leaders belatedly released details of their agreement on a state budget for fiscal year 2026, the Empire Center released a statement from its Senior Fellow for Health Policy, Bill Hammond: Read More
The number of school district employees receiving a total compensation of more than $200,000 have more than doubled since 2019, according to posted today at , the Empire Center’s transparency website. The public educator pay data are based on Fiscal Ye Read More
A total of 186 out of 685 school districts outside New York City last year had a median classroom teacher pay over $100,000, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website, up from 159 five years earlier.
All eight Rockland Coun Read More
With chip-maker Micron Technology set to pull down the largest taxpayer subsidy in New York state history, a new report from the Empire Center looks at the other types of special treatment the company is receiving, and challenges other New York businesses to ask the question: what would Micron get? Read More
Two New York Police Department retirees each collected total retirement benefits of more than $600,000 last year—a new record high for the NYPD, according to data posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
However, unlike the pension systems covering all other public employees in New York State, the New York City Police Pension Fund refuses to identify its top two pensioners, or any of its 53,215 NYPD retirees receiving benefit payments that totaled $3.3 billion last year. Read More
Albany, NY — Governor Hochul's budget would allow Medicaid spending to continue spiraling at double-digit rates despite a growing economy and the threat of deep cuts in federal aid, warns Bill Hammond, Empire Center senior fellow for he Read More
New Yorkers by a margin of more than two-to-one said they aren’t getting their money’s worth from taxes they pay in the state, according to recent polling by the Empire Center for Public Policy in Albany. Read More
The Empire Center filed a pair of lawsuits this week charging the state Health Department with improperly withholding public records in violation of the Freedom of Information Law. Read More