Topics Climate and Environment
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
Photo montage showing NY Governor Kathy Hochul speaking on April 28 against a greyed-out backdrop of solar panels and a wind turbine.
State Budget Goes Small On Climate

New York’s budget includes $1 billion for climate action — a record amount, but less than the state was supposed to raise by charging polluters.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   May 9, 2025
A bulldozer sits on top of a landfill full of trash.
Chemical Industry Redoubles Campaign Against New York Waste Bill

A national trade group has nearly doubled its spending in Albany since the packaging reduction bill was introduced and taken out attack ads on Democrats in swing districts.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   May 6, 2025
Trump’s China Tariffs Hit New York’s Clean Heat Experiment

The country’s biggest public housing authority is counting on a Chinese company to supply thousands of new energy-saving window heat pumps.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 15, 2025
Trump Targets New York Climate Laws. But Is It Just for Show?

“There’s no legal basis for what they’re trying to do,” said one legal expert.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 9, 2025
Climate Groups Sue Hochul Administration Over Climate Law Backtracking

Environmentalists have long charged that New York is falling short of its climate mandates. Now, they’re taking the state to court.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 31, 2025
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