New York State has consistently blocked the construction of new pipelines to allow for the transportation of gas. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has rejected new gas pipeline construction on the grounds that it would harm water quality.

The rejection was also driven by a recognition that construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure is at odds with the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (known as the “Climate Law”). It is the Climate Law that requires that 70% of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy by 2030 and that New York effectively eliminates greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

After all, how could the state reconcile expanding reliance on fossil fuels while at the same time seeking to eliminate its use in generating power? It could not.

The rationale for acting to slash the emission of greenhouse gases is backed up by the world’s experts and climate science. For example:

• Earth’s temperature has increased by about 2.3°F (1.1°C) and 2024 was the warmest year on record, surpassing the previous records set in 2016 and 2023.  The decade from 2015 to 2024 was the warmest recorded decade. 
• The rate of global warming has been faster since 1970 than at any other time in the last 2,000 years. 
• The warming is triggered by greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of oil, gas, and coal, causing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels to reach a record – now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels.
• The increased heat has impacted the world. The global average sea level has risen 8-9 inches since 1880.

As one of the world’s biggest economies, New York’s actions not only impact the nation, but can affect global climate policies, as well.

As long as its policies stayed in place, that is.

Reportedly as a result of pressure from the Trump Administration, New York is changing course and on the verge of allowing construction of pipelines it had previously banned as environmental threats a few years ago.

The pressure started with an attack by the Trump Administration on a nearly completed wind farm off of Eastern Long Island. In April the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary ordered that the project be halted. The Secretary later elaborated, saying that the Biden administration’s approval of the “Empire Wind project was built on bad and flawed science.” At that time, Governor Hochul issued a statement sharply critical of the stop-work order, declaring it was the product of “a shortsighted, political agenda.”

Then in May, with no explanation on how the “flawed scientific methodologies” were resolved, the Trump Administration rescinded the stop-work order for Empire Wind.

The Interior Secretary commented on his social media account that “I am encouraged by Governor Hochul’s comments about her willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity.”  The existence of a deal to lift the stop-work order in exchange for Governor Hochul’s approval of constructing natural gas pipelines has been widely reported.

The governor has said that no such deal is in place. However, the White House has publicly stated that the governor “caved” to Trump on allowing two new gas pipelines through New York.

This past summer, the Hochul Administration began to move the pipeline projects. It issued a notice that it was opening a public comment period, but with no public hearings. That approach stood at odds with New York’s previous reviews of the pipeline projects, which included public hearings. And in September, the state’s Public Service Commission – an agency effectively controlled by the governor – gave its approval to the pipeline project. While the PSC has no formal role in the pipeline approval process, its endorsement is viewed as an indication of how the permit process is likely to play out.

If approved, how will building pipelines square with the state’s Climate Law? At the moment, there is no answer.

If approved, what will be the likely results for New Yorkers? Higher utility rates. If the pipelines are approved, New Yorkers will pay dearly. Estimates show ratepayer costs at $200 million annually for the next 15 years. And that’s just to build the pipeline itself. The cost of gas is rising – gas supply costs remain relatively low, but gas utilities are allowed to charge us through the nose to maintain and build out the aging gas system. And looking forward, the price of piped gas is rising more than 2x that of electricity.

If these pipelines are approved, these costs – both environmental and financial – will be paid for over a decade or more. Time that the planet’s climate does not have and money that New Yorkers would rather keep in their pockets.

Here’s hoping that Governor Hochul gets the message and that New York’s climate reversal doesn’t happen.