Governor Hochul is undermining New York's climate goals by prioritizing fossil fuel interests over legally mandated environmental targets
Source: Liza Featherstone. "Kathy Hochul Is Failing on Climate." February 25, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that New York's Governor Hochul is betraying the state's climate commitments by refusing to build public renewable energy as required by law, while actually making things worse by adding more fossil fuel infrastructure. Instead of following the climate laws that New Yorkers democratically enacted, she's catering to oil and gas company donors.
Conclusion
Governor Kathy Hochul is failing New York on climate policy by refusing to implement existing climate laws and instead pursuing policies that benefit fossil fuel interests at the expense of environmental progress and public welfare
Premises
- Hochul threatened to weaken the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) which mandates 70% zero-emission grid by 2030 and 100% by 2040
- She is violating the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) by failing to allocate the required $200 million for public renewables and cutting planned renewable energy projects by 1.5 gigawatts
- She is actively moving in the opposite direction by adding 3 gigawatts of fracked gas to the NYC grid, which increases carbon emissions rather than reducing them
- She delayed implementation of the all-electric building law that would have banned gas appliances from new buildings, undermining both climate goals and public health
- Her policies will increase energy costs for New Yorkers rather than providing affordable public power alternatives
- She is prioritizing fossil fuel industry donors over the Democratic base and grassroots environmental movement within her own party
Assumptions
- Existing climate laws (CLCPA and BPRA) represent democratically mandated policy that should be implemented
- Public renewable energy is more affordable and environmentally beneficial than private fossil fuel energy
- Political leaders should prioritize constituent welfare over donor interests
- Climate action is urgent and necessary for public health and environmental protection
- There is significant grassroots support for aggressive climate action among New York Democrats