Topics Climate and Environment
Climate Advocates ‘Haunt’ State Meeting, Demanding Energy Efficiency Funds

Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to indicate whether, or how, New York might plug a funding hole for Empower+, a key energy affordability program.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 23, 2025
Lawmakers Scrutinize Secretive Process Behind Energy Bill Hikes

In a state Senate hearing on spiraling energy bills, consumer advocates lamented the closed-door negotiations at the heart of New York’s ratemaking process.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 2, 2025
Climate Hawks Vow Election Showdown If Hochul Greenlights Gas Pipeline

Pipeline opponents say that approving NESE could bite Hochul in next year’s elections.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   September 26, 2025
Why Your Energy Bills Are Going Up — Again

Electric bills in New York haven’t been this high for a decade, and they’re about to rise even more. Here’s why.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   September 18, 2025
New York Business Groups Rally Around Trump-Backed Pipeline

Business interests have launched a campaign to back National Grid’s demands for more gas, with fingerprints of the utility’s lobbying firm.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   August 29, 2025
Major Pipeline Moves Closer to Approval in New York as Critics Decry ‘Bargain’ with Trump

Public comments are closing soon for an underwater pipeline project that sprang back to life this spring after talks between Hochul and Trump.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   August 8, 2025
A person inside an extremely hot prison cell sits hunched over.
Summers Are Brutal in New York’s Prisons. This Year Is Worse Than Ever.

Short-staffed since a strike this winter, the prison system is keeping people locked in their boiling cells and dorms for upwards of 21 hours a day.

Chris Gelardi   ·   August 4, 2025
Judge Skewers Hochul Administration Over New York’s Climate Law Delays

The judge suggested he’ll rule that the state is violating its climate law.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   July 29, 2025
Kathy Hochul’s Nuclear Vision Faces Big Questions and Bottlenecks

Building nuclear will test whether New York state is still capable of constructing megaprojects as it has done in the past.

Alexander C. Kaufman   ·   July 26, 2025
New York’s Landmark Climate Law Goes on Trial

As environmental justice groups seek to compel the state to follow its climate law, the Hochul administration is set to argue that it deserves a pass.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   July 25, 2025
Regulators Crack Down on a Troubled New York Solar Company

Attyx, formerly known as SUNCo, is set to lose its license to operate in the state over what regulators called “false and misleading” sales pitches.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   July 23, 2025
New York to Scale Back Key Energy Affordability Program

Empower+ helps thousands of New Yorkers afford energy efficiency upgrades. The state is planning to slash funding by nearly two-thirds in two years.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   July 18, 2025
The Race to Build Solar and Wind Before Trump’s Tax Credit Deadline

Trump’s megabill gives wind and solar companies one year to put as many shovels in the ground as possible. They want New York officials to help.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   July 11, 2025
How Congress is Reversing New York’s Progress on Clean Energy

Already, the state’s green energy businesses are feeling the impact of the pending Congressional spending bill that includes phasing out Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.

Clara Hemphill   ·   July 3, 2025
Why Is It So Hard for New York to Pass Climate Bills?

Environmentalists increasingly blame Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — who’s firing back.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   June 27, 2025
How the Clock Ran Out on One of Albany’s Biggest Environmental Bills

Wrangling over a major bill to cut packaging waste continued until the final hours of the legislative session, assemblymembers said.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   June 19, 2025
State Assemblymember Claire Valdez speaks at a rally in front of people holding a banner that reads "NY Renews."
Hochul Paused Carbon Pricing to Get More Feedback — But Hasn’t Asked for Any

State officials said they needed more time for “stakeholder engagement” on cap and invest. But groups involved with the program have gotten crickets.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   June 6, 2025
National flags against the NY state capitol.
Amid Global Debt Crisis, Albany Advances Bill to Rein In Hedge Funds Suing Poor Countries

Half of sovereign bonds are issued under New York state law, giving Albany lawmakers the power to shape how countries around the world face off with creditors.

Julia Rock and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   June 4, 2025
Senator Monica Martinez (left) and Assemblymember Chantel Jackson (right) in an illustration showing legislative text and logos in the background
As Albany Debates Plastics Crackdown, Industry Pushes Softer Alternative

The chemical industry is pushing to replace a sweeping plastics bill with a more business-friendly alternative.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   May 29, 2025
Ad Campaign Funded by Chemical Industry Skirted Campaign Finance Rules

A campaign group run by New York’s business lobby and backed by the American Chemistry Council failed to submit copies of mailers it sent in support of candidates.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   May 15, 2025
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