A report from the office of New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hockle said the state is on track to miss most of its looming climate change goals.
Hoeffler made the official announcement. review New York state acknowledged earlier this month that rising electricity prices and canceled “clean” energy projects will prevent it from reaching its goal of 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030. The 70 percent renewable electricity goal was expected to be one of New York state's more ambitious climate goals, set out in the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), and it is unlikely the state will meet it.
“We hope this serves as kind of a wake-up call for the state,” Patrick McClellan, state policy director for the New York League of Environmental Voters, told the nonprofit news site. Organization City officials' position on Hawkle's report.
For the first time, Hawkle said the state will likely not meet landmark climate goals of cutting emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and getting 70% of its electricity from renewable sources. https://t.co/DReOZGHid7
— Leonie Haimson (@leoniehaimson) July 18, 2024
As of 2023, four years after the CLCPA was passed and just seven years after the 2030 deadline, less than 30% of New York's electricity comes from renewable sources. according to To the New York State Electric Grid Operator. (Related story: Power grid operators warn that Democratic climate policies are forcing blackouts in populous Democratic states)
The slow transition is due in large part to rising energy prices, which rose 29.4% between January 2021 and March 2024, compared with just 4.0% over the previous four years under the Trump administration. As prices for traditional energy sources such as oil and gas have soared, regulators have become reluctant to offer ratepayer-funded subsidies to developers of early offshore wind and onshore renewable energy.
Two offshore wind contracts with the New York State Department of Energy were terminated in January after regulators hesitated to increase ratepayer-funded subsidies. according to The incident also contributed to the state's failure to close power purchase agreements with three developers that it had conditionally signed in October 2023, according to Politico.
According to the city, delays in renewable electricity are expected to impact various of New York's other climate goals set out in the CLCPA, including goals of zero-emissions electricity by 2040 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
The failure to meet the 70% renewable electricity target by 2030 is also expected to impact New York City's climate action plan, specifically Local Bill 97, which aims to set an emissions cap for the city's largest buildings. Emissions from buildings are closely linked to electricity consumption, which will be a major driver of emissions going forward as the city's electricity becomes less likely to come from renewable sources.
Recently, various countries, states, and municipalities have backtracked or missed their climate goals.
In April, the Scottish government backed away from a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% over six years, a policy passed under pressure from school climate strikes and a campaign by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.Virginia emitted 3.7 million more tonnes of carbon dioxide from electricity production last year than it did in 2021 when it joined the 12-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which caps emissions from state power plants.
“I hope people will squint their eyes a little bit at us,” Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, told Politico when asked about the goal of reaching the 70% target by 2030.
“As the 57th governor of New York, I look forward to working with you to rebuild our communities and move our great state forward,” Governor Hawkel's office said in response to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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