Editor’s note: This post is the first adapted for the Empire Center by its new adjunct fellow, Roger Caiazza, who has a long and deep private industry background in environmental regulatory analysis and compliance. His frequently updated personal blog on New York State environmental policy is Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York.
Several recent reports from authoritative official sources show that New York’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act of 2019 (Climate Act) is not going as planned. It appears that Governor Hochul is becoming aware that reality always wins—but climate activists will explode if she acknowledges reality.
Following other highly relevant recent reports from the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the New York Independent System Operator, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office last week issued an audit of Climate Act implementation efforts by PSC and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Among other things, DiNapoli’s audit said PSC “is using outdated data, and, at times, incorrect calculations, for planning purposes and has not started to address all current and emerging issues that could significantly increase electricity demand and lower projected generation.” Another key finding by the comptroller: “The costs of transitioning to renewable energy are not known, nor have they been reasonably estimated” and goes on to point out that the sources of funding have not been identified.
When asked about the audit findings in a Times Union interview last week, Hochul said she “would love to meet the (Climate Act) goals, but also the cost has gone up so much … I now have to step back and say, ‘What is the cost on the typical family?’”
“We’re going to get to our (renewable energy) goals,” Hochul also said. “If we miss it by a couple of years, which is probably what will happen, the goals are still worthy, but we have to think about the collateral damage of these decisions. Either mitigate them or rethink them.”
As reported by Marie French in Politico, climate activists and CLCPA supporters were not happy with the governor’s suggestion that Climate Act deadlines can’t and won’t be met.
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