After years of seeing their projects rejected in New York, pipeline and power plant companies are eyeing a comeback as the state weighs a slower transition away from fossil fuels.

They’re not just watching from the sidelines. A national industry group, led by some of the country’s largest pipeline builders and a slew of other gas interests, has recently entered the fray, tapping former state politicians to help advance Governor Kathy Hochul’s “all of the above” energy strategy. Top of their agenda: pressing pause on the state’s climate targets.

The group, a nonprofit called Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future, represents some of the companies with the most to gain if Hochul’s proposed rollbacks to the state’s climate law go through. Speaking at a conference in late March, its New York chapter co-chair, former assemblymember and Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., gave a spirited defense of the governor’s plan, calling it “responsible leadership.”

When a member of State Senator Luis Sepúlveda’s staff faced eviction in 2023, the staffer had good reason to be hopeful: Sepúlveda, a practicing attorney, agreed to be his lawyer. Sepúlveda, who chairs the Senate’s powerful Judiciary Committee, then failed to show up to court twice, causing his staffer to lose by default and ultimately leave his home with an eviction on his record.

This wasn’t unusual behavior for Sepúlveda, who for years has maintained a private law practice marked by skipped court appearances, faulty paperwork, and missed deadlines, New York Focus has found.

His legal missteps stretch back to at least 2017, when a judge rejected his request for a default judgment after he failed to appear at a hearing and submitted a legal filing improperly.

A Manhattan lawmaker facing a primary challenge from the Democratic Socialists of America will be aided by a super PAC.

Jordan J.G. Wright, who has represented Harlem in the state Assembly since his 2024 election, will be boosted by an outside fundraising vehicle called Moving Harlem Forward. The super PAC, also known as an independent expenditure committee, was registered with the state Board of Elections on Wednesday.

A prominent business group is stepping up its efforts to stop tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy in this year’s state budget — while keeping key information about its funding secret.

The Partnership for New York City raised $10 million in “seed” money last year for its political arm, its new president and CEO, Steven Fulop, said on X earlier this year. Fulop told the Wall Street Journal last week that the political arm plans to run ads opposing tax increases. “If you believe that something is detrimental to the economic well-being of New York City, you need to be vocal about it,” Fulop said.

The state budget was due at midnight on Tuesday, but Albany leaders have so far been unable to strike an agreement, and taxes are among the biggest sticking points. The legislature and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have pushed for billions of dollars in tax hikes. Governor Kathy Hochul has ruled out an income tax hike on high-earners, though she has left the door more open to raising corporate taxes.

The Partnership is planning to jump into the fray through its political arm, while shielding the amounts donors provided.