New York State has some of the nation’s most aggressive policies addressing climate change, including a law that is aimed at all but eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Gas-powered cars, oil-burning heaters and furnaces, and fossil-fueled electric plants are supposed to be on the way out. But the state has recently started putting the brakes on progress towards that green future.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul faces a growing affordability crisis and rising energy demand along with a federal government that is openly opposed to clean energy. As a result of all of these, the governor has said she needs to “govern in reality” and identifies the primary need “to keep the lights on and rates down for New Yorkers”.
The net result is the adoption of an “all of the above” approach to energy, which includes new nuclear and natural gas initiatives. This is in response to the Trump administration cancelling multiple renewable energy projects in New York.
The use of natural gas poses problems with regard to greenhouse gas emissions. There is methane leakage throughout the production and distribution process and the combustion of gas produces carbon dioxide. There will be a ratepayer subsidized construction of an underwater gas pipeline off of New York City that will increase the state’s energy supply, but will mean higher bills, more pollution, and contribute to global warming.
Nuclear energy is clean energy as far as emissions are concerned. But nuclear plants are extremely expensive and time-consuming to build and produce nuclear waste.
There are no easy answers in the current political and economic climate. New York is between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
