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Hochul Cites NYSERDA Memo to Revisit New York Climate Law in Budget Talks

The memo's projections have pushed the fight over timelines into state budget talks.

Overview

  • A NYSERDA memo modeling a cap-and-invest path projects by 2031 roughly $2,300 in added annual costs for New York City gas-heated homes, more than $4,000 upstate, and about $2.23 more per gallon of gasoline, while noting net savings for households that achieve high‑efficiency electrification.
  • Governor Kathy Hochul says the 2019 targets are not reasonable under current conditions and is pressing lawmakers to adjust timelines or rules during ongoing budget negotiations due April 1.
  • The memo calls the near‑term CLCPA timelines infeasible, citing a lack of market capacity for renewables, heat pumps, EVs and building upgrades, as well as post‑2019 supply chain and inflation pressures.
  • Environmental groups dispute the memo’s assumptions and cost estimates, pointing to alternative designs and benefits such as household rebates of roughly $270 a year and investments in grid upgrades.
  • The analysis has sharpened political divides in Albany, with some Democrats resisting rollbacks and Republicans and business groups urging changes or refunds to ratepayers, and no statutory revisions enacted yet.