Editorial: Climate Act hits headwinds

Six years ago, New York passed a landmark law to dramatically rein in greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this century. Yet the state keeps going out of its way to violate both the spirit and the letter of that law.

 

From missing mandatory deadlines to encouraging even more use of fossil fuels to delaying implementation of a ban on oil and gas appliances, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration seems to be happy to tout itself as a climate leader even as it dodges the sorts of hard choices and tough actions that the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act demands.

 

The latest of those violations came in a one-two punch.

 

First, the Department of Environmental Conservation approved the Northeast Supply Enhancement, a pipeline for fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania to an offshore transfer point near Queens. The line will increase supply for New York City and Long Island.

 

The move is doubly hypocritical. Keeping the gas supply abundant will make it that much harder to wean New Yorkers off fossil fuels as the Climate Act requires. And it will bring in fracked gas, which by law cannot be extracted in New York.

 

As the Times Union’s Dan Clark reports, even the DEC acknowledged the contradictions, stating in its approval letter that it “has determined that the project is inconsistent with the attainment of the statewide (greenhouse gas) limits ... because it will result in emissions that would increase atmospheric concentration of (greenhouse gases) and contribute to future climate change impacts."

 

Next came a decision by the state to hold off implementation of the All-Electric Buildings Act, which would prohibit oil and gas equipment in new buildings of seven stories or fewer starting in January, and in taller buildings in 2029. Industry and labor groups had challenged the law on the grounds that federal law superseded it, but a trial judge found that argument to be baseless. Yet the state agreed to suspend the law pending appeal. How long that will drag out is anyone’s guess.

 

The governor’s main argument has been that the state needs the energy.

 

Well, duh. We knew that when the Climate Act passed. The act requires the state to drive down greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050, based on 1990 levels. And everyone understood that would require more clean energy.

 

This is not the first time New York, which boasts on the internet that “We Power the Future,” has fudged compliance with its own law. Last month, a judge had to order the state to issue the regulations necessary to implement the act after the DEC was a year and a half late.

 

Meanwhile, developing enough green energy to take the place of old fossil fuel plants and meet increasing demand for electricity is not happening as quickly as it needs to, according to the New York State Independent System Operator.

 

To be fair, many factors are to blame, not the least of which is President Donald J. Trump’s attempts to stymie green energy projects. His irrational denial of global warming and unequivocal embrace of fossil fuels is doing damage far beyond New York, thwarting America’s potential to compete in a green energy industrial revolution that’s increasingly dominated by China.

 

We appreciate the need, as Ms. Hochul puts it, to keep the lights and heat on. And we acknowledge the state’s point, which proponents of natural gas like to make, that gas is cleaner than oil. But the answer is not to keep bragging about being a climate leader while putting off hard decisions like mandating electrification and phasing out fossil fuels as much as possible. This administration should be celebrating big milestones, not maneuvering around them like so many inconvenient deadlines.

 

If this is all the result of obstacles and procrastination, Ms. Hochul needs to figure out how to clear the roadblocks, end the inertia and get the Climate Act back on track. If the timelines were too ambitious, then it’s time to face up to that and adjust them, publicly and straightforwardly. 

 

In other words: If New York is to be a genuine leader — an example for the rest of the nation — we need progress, not excuses.

 

Editorial: Climate Act hits headwinds