Kathy Hochul is up for reelection this year, and has a big, big problem: for all the talk about an “affordability” agenda, every single policy the Democrats like to push increases costs, reduces quality of life, and drives people out of Blue states.
And one of the worst problems she faces is skyrocketing energy bills, and the prospect that those prices will rise even more and faster in the next few years as climate deadlines rapidly approach.
She’s backtracking is due to a leaked memo stating utility costs per person will increase by $11,000 over the next 4yrs BY DESIGN
She lost all NYs millionaires due to her socialist programs to appease Mamdani, she’ll lose the middle class over utilities https://t.co/qNBJZIh3Li
— EvilMidget (@Anniebanananie1) March 21, 2026
The pressure is so great, both because consumers are pissed off and businesses that can move begin doing so, that Hochul wants to “delay” the climate goals she and the Democrats were so excited about just a few years ago.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday moved to alter and delay the implementation of New York State’s landmark 2019 climate law, which calls for gradually decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by certain deadlines.
Those proposed adjustments include delaying issuing the regulations for enforcing the law — already two years late — until 2030 and amending how certain emissions are measured.
“We need more time,” Ms. Hochul wrote in an editorial that was published on Friday morning in The Empire Report, a news site that covers state politics. “So much has radically changed since the Climate Act was enacted, necessitating common-sense adjustments.”
The proposal, anticipated by lawmakers in Albany, comes late in the budget negotiation process. Although Ms. Hochul has considerable leverage to push for her agenda during this time, members of the Legislature will need to approve the final budget, which would include changes to the climate law.
So much has changed since 2019? Not really. Every sane person then knew that these goals were unattainable, but the pursuit of them would inevitably mean skyrocketing energy costs.
HAHAHAHA: “Gov. Kathy Hochul’s top budget official elevated concerns about the cost of the state’s climate law that the governor once championed on Wednesday.”
To achieve New York’s outrageous climate goals, it would “add more than $1.90 to gasoline prices and raise costs for a… pic.twitter.com/XeNmvDKN7x
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 25, 2026
HAHAHAHA: “Gov. Kathy Hochul’s top budget official elevated concerns about the cost of the state’s climate law that the governor once championed on Wednesday.”To achieve New York’s outrageous climate goals, it would “add more than $1.90 to gasoline prices and raise costs for a family with oil heat and a gas vehicle by $3,000 annually.”
The only difference between then and now is that the deadlines are approaching and the cost increases are becoming a political liability.
Activists and a growing number of legislators are alarmed by the governor’s decision, which has the potential to delay notoriously sluggish budget negotiations even more than usual. They argue that China and Pakistan — and even some U.S. states, including Texas — are ramping up renewable energy projects because they are cheaper and faster to develop than fossil fuel ventures and can serve as a bulwark against fluctuating gas and oil prices.
Ms. Hochul, whose move has the support of some moderate Democrats and business corporations, said that she needed more time to tweak the law for the realities of 2026.
When the climate law became official in 2019, it directed the state to issue regulations on reducing emissions by January 2024. The rules never surfaced, prompting climate groups to sue the state. Regulations are the engine of the Climate Act, said Rachel Spector, the deputy managing attorney for Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit that is representing plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
“It is what gives teeth to the law,” she said. “Without it, there is no meaningful way to ensure emissions reductions.”
Last fall, the climate groups won their lawsuit against Ms. Hochul, who was told by a judge to publish the rules by February. She has appealed that decision, now hoping to extend that deadline by four more years. If the governor is successful, the 2019 law will not be enforced until 2030, the same year the state was supposed to have reduced emissions 40 percent.
In defending her proposed changes to the climate law, the governor cited a memo from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, a state agency she oversees. If the state began penalizing polluters, the memo said, the cost of those fines would be passed on to oil and gas customers, with some paying about $4,000 more in utility bills each year.
There is not a serious person alive who didn’t understand that imposing huge costs for not meeting impossible climate goals would raise costs for consumers. You had to have had a lobotomy or be a liberal to not predict this.
@KathyHochul embraced this insanity & championed it, now, since she’s….slow, it finally dawns on her how reckless this is. An actual leader could’ve easily foreseen what would happen.
Beware: She’s only backing off because it’s an election year. https://t.co/GiHZsDLxlM— Steve McLaughlin (@SteveMcNY) March 21, 2026
Passing the climate law in 2019 was perfect for liberal politicians; it helped funnel money in great quantities to political allies for years, and the worst of the price increases was put into the seemingly distant future. But that “distant” future is not so distant now, and Hochul sees political trouble if she doesn’t relieve the artificial price pressure the law has created.
Politico: New York governor rethinks climate ambitions
Kathy Hochul is pushing for changes to the state’s landmark climate law because of affordability concerns, reflecting a national clash between high energy prices and environmental goals.https://t.co/VPPAeBsE4d
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) March 7, 2026
You know who has been warning about the consequences of these insane laws?
Republicans, of course. Costs have been skyrocketing for years, and that doesn’t even include the insanely expensive subsidies for failing “green energy” projects.
Lara Trump: Kathy Hochul Has Nothing To Stand On!
“These Democrats blow around with the wind. They have nothing to stand on. They go with whatever is popular in the moment.” pic.twitter.com/I6uPTrKK4Z
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) March 21, 2026
As always, the Democrats warn about a fake crisis, promise the moon, spend tons of money, make things infinitely worse, and then say they will fix the problem.
Hey, folks, I have a better plan: get rid of these idiots and elect some Republicans. They aren’t perfect, but you get a lot fewer butterfly bridges, fraudulent programs, insane green energy laws, and as a bonus, we won’t put boys in girls’ locker rooms.
Give it a try. You may like it.
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
Help us report the truth about the Trump administration’s decisive actions to keep Americans safe and bring peace to the world. Join Hot Air VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership!
