Hochul's State of the State Message Falls Flat on Climate Activists
New York Governor Kathy Hochul's recent State of the State address left climate activists feeling uninspired. The nearly hour-long speech touted her commitment to making energy more reliable, clean, and affordable for all, but little was said about concrete actions to combat the growing threat of climate change.
While the governor proposed increasing the state's new nuclear goal from 1 gigawatt to 5 gigawatts, a move that could potentially meet up to 50% of New York's electricity demand by 2030, critics argue that this plan ignores the costs and environmental impacts associated with building new reactors. "New nuclear in the state would actually raise rates in New York state before those plants were ever turned on," warned Joseph Romm, a senior researcher at Penn State University.
Moreover, climate activists say that Hochul's administration has been slow to implement regulations aimed at reducing climate pollution, including a key water-quality permit for a proposed natural gas pipeline off the coast of New York City. The governor also delayed state laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and appealed a state Supreme Court decision that found the Department of Environmental Conservation had violated the law by not rolling out regulations for the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
Hochul's plan to fast-track housing projects, which could result in more affordable housing if done responsibly, has also raised concerns among environmental groups. "We have huge questions about what the governor means by removing regulatory red tape," said Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice.
In contrast, renewable energy appears to be a priority for the governor. The state is introducing new initiatives such as the Soil and Sun Program, which will allow farmers to diversify revenue by using part of their land for solar panels. However, climate activists say that this effort needs to go further and faster.
"A nod to renewable energy" from Hochul's speech was met with skepticism by many, who argue that more needs to be done to advance clean energy projects in the state. "The single biggest thing she can do is to build new renewable projects and they're doing it, but at an incredibly slow pace," said Alex Beauchamp, northeast director for Food and Water Watch.
Overall, Hochul's State of the State address has left climate activists feeling disappointed that more was not done to address the pressing issue of climate change. As one observer noted, "It was a remarkable moment when she tried to do a bunch of applause lines around nuclear and it was like crickets chirping in the hall."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul's recent State of the State address left climate activists feeling uninspired. The nearly hour-long speech touted her commitment to making energy more reliable, clean, and affordable for all, but little was said about concrete actions to combat the growing threat of climate change.
While the governor proposed increasing the state's new nuclear goal from 1 gigawatt to 5 gigawatts, a move that could potentially meet up to 50% of New York's electricity demand by 2030, critics argue that this plan ignores the costs and environmental impacts associated with building new reactors. "New nuclear in the state would actually raise rates in New York state before those plants were ever turned on," warned Joseph Romm, a senior researcher at Penn State University.
Moreover, climate activists say that Hochul's administration has been slow to implement regulations aimed at reducing climate pollution, including a key water-quality permit for a proposed natural gas pipeline off the coast of New York City. The governor also delayed state laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and appealed a state Supreme Court decision that found the Department of Environmental Conservation had violated the law by not rolling out regulations for the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
Hochul's plan to fast-track housing projects, which could result in more affordable housing if done responsibly, has also raised concerns among environmental groups. "We have huge questions about what the governor means by removing regulatory red tape," said Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice.
In contrast, renewable energy appears to be a priority for the governor. The state is introducing new initiatives such as the Soil and Sun Program, which will allow farmers to diversify revenue by using part of their land for solar panels. However, climate activists say that this effort needs to go further and faster.
"A nod to renewable energy" from Hochul's speech was met with skepticism by many, who argue that more needs to be done to advance clean energy projects in the state. "The single biggest thing she can do is to build new renewable projects and they're doing it, but at an incredibly slow pace," said Alex Beauchamp, northeast director for Food and Water Watch.
Overall, Hochul's State of the State address has left climate activists feeling disappointed that more was not done to address the pressing issue of climate change. As one observer noted, "It was a remarkable moment when she tried to do a bunch of applause lines around nuclear and it was like crickets chirping in the hall."
. Climate activists r just lookin 4 excuses 2 bash her. newsflash: she did propose an increase in new nuke power 
, which could potentially help meet our energy demands by 2030. but sure, critics r like "oh noz, it'll cost us $$$" and "it's bad 4 the environment". come on guys, get real 
. an' yeah, renewable energy is a priority, but can't we just acknowledge that nukes r part of the solution? 
. And what's up with the delay in implementing climate regulations? We need concrete actions, not just a nod to renewables 
. I'm all for affordable housing but let's make sure it's done responsibly 
. The Soil and Sun Program is cool and all but we need more ASAP 
. Maybe Hochul should've taken some real climate hits from activists instead of trying to win applause 
.
. The proposed increase in nuclear power is a step in the right direction, I guess, but it's not like that's gonna make up for the lack of concrete action on other fronts 
. And don't even get me started on the housing projects – removing regulatory red tape could just lead to more affordable housing nightmares 
. Farmers diversifying revenue with solar panels is a great way to promote renewable energy, and it's about time we're seeing some real action in this area 
. We need more than just empty words and grandiose plans – we need serious policy changes and a clear timeline for action 
.
at least on renewables she's trying, but let's be real 5 gigawatts ain't gonna cut it when we need 10 or 20 times that amount ASAP 
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. Fast-tracking housing projects could also go either way - it's a double-edged sword 
. Overall, I'd say climate activists are right to feel skeptical about Hochul's commitment to tackling climate change 
.
. Climate activists are right to be skeptical about the governor's plan to fast-track housing projects too... it feels like a bunch of lip service without any real action