Topics Climate and Environment
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Soaring ConEd Bills Add Fuel to Push for Public Power

ConEd customers have seen their electricity bills double or even triple over the past month, and the company just reported over a billion dollars in annual income. Activists say a publicly-owned utility would deliver more affordable power.

Andy Hirschfeld   ·   February 17, 2022
New York’s Landmark Water Testing Law Hinges on State Health Department

The law leaves key decisions to an agency with a history of dragging its feet on implementing water quality legislation.

Peter Mantius   ·   January 27, 2022
Hochul’s Budget Charts a Middle Path on Climate

The $216 billion budget would ban gas in new construction, but otherwise offers few dramatic moves on climate.

Sam Mellins and Lissa Harris   ·   January 20, 2022
Smokestacks Loom Over New York’s Clean Energy Plan

New York is building renewables - but it doesn’t have a plan to shut down the plants they’re supposed to replace.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 18, 2022
State Lawmakers Push to Scale Back Fossil Fuel Subsidies

The state spends $1.6 billion a year subsidizing oil and gas. Lawmakers are trying to eliminate about one-fifth of that spending.

Sam Mellins   ·   December 23, 2021
Failure of Build Back Better Casts Uncertainty over New York’s Climate Plans

New York was counting on federal money to help pay for its transition to clean energy, which will cost the state an estimated $15 billion each year.

Lissa Harris and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   December 22, 2021
What Will It Take To Bring Cell Coverage to New York’s North Country?

A recent report renewed a decades-long debate over a regulatory requirement that cell towers in Adirondack Park be “substantially invisible.”

Lilah Burke   ·   December 13, 2021
Hochul Vetoes Bill to Create Utility Consumer Advocate

Hochul argues the office would be redundant, because the state already protects utility consumers.

Julia Rock   ·   December 8, 2021
New York Utilities Polarize Over Push to Ban Natural Gas

A proposed gas ban has pitted ConEd against big oil, real estate lobbyists, and other investor-owned utilities.

Lee Harris   ·   December 1, 2021
NYC Could Ban Gas in New Buildings This Year

The fight heated up at a hearing Wednesday, with debate centered on when, not if, a gas ban should go into effect.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   November 18, 2021
Nine Years After Sandy, Cuomo’s Climate Adaptation Program has Disappeared into a ‘Black Hole’

With $750 million from the federal government, Albany asked New Yorkers in 2013 to decide how to protect their communities from future storms. Planning participants say their projects have stalled.

Atman Mehta   ·   October 28, 2021
As Water Shutoff Moratorium Nears Expiration, Hochul Administration Isn’t Enforcing It — or Distributing Federal Water Aid

The moratorium expires in December. But New York hasn’t distributed a single dollar of the $70 million of federal water assistance.

Julia Rock   ·   October 26, 2021
Inside New York’s Messy Push to Clean Up Concrete

If concrete production were a country, it would be the world’s third largest carbon emitter. New York legislators want to clean it up.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   September 9, 2021
Lessons to be learned from New York’s climate policy laboratory

New York is seen as a model - but it also shows the challenges of green public-private partnerships

Lee Harris   ·   September 1, 2021
Nobody knows it, but Bill de Blasio is America’s best climate mayor

And that’s still vastly short of what’s needed.

Pete Sikora   ·   August 31, 2021
New York Dairy Farms Skirt Clean Water Act Requirements

Farms in New York have used a form of legal arbitrage to shield their manure management practices from scrutiny.

Lee Harris   ·   August 11, 2021
Schumer Joins Fight Against Astoria Power Plant Proposal

DSA organized against a fracked-gas plant in Astoria. Now Schumer is getting involved.

Lee Harris   ·   July 12, 2021
The World’s Most Important Local Climate and Jobs Law is in Eric Adams’ Hands

Elected with real estate industry support, soon-to-be Mayor Adams faces a critical choice on New York’s landmark buildings emissions law.

Pete Sikora   ·   July 9, 2021
The Council Implementing New York’s Climate Law Is Stacked With Industry Executives

A top energy executive, whose firm is designing pro-gas talking points, has a seat at the table charting the state’s path to decarbonization.

Lee Harris   ·   July 6, 2021
Albany Just Blew it on Climate, Again

Only big, strong, mean grassroots campaigns can turn this around

Pete Sikora   ·   June 12, 2021
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