Climate activists say that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State message did little to assuage their growing concerns over her evolving stance on some environmental issues.
During her nearly hourlong speech, Hochul emphasized making energy more reliable, clean, safe and affordable for all while also announcing a bid to increase the state’s new nuclear goal fivefold to 5 gigawatts — enough power for 5 million homes.
She expressed support and investment for chip manufacturing, artificial intelligence and quantum technology centers, but climate activists say the amount of power consumed by those industries can be tremendous and cite evidence showing they are known to drive up utility bills.
A series of actions taken by Hochul late last year were viewed by activists as the governor turning her back on clean energy.
Her administration approved a key water-quality permit for a proposed natural gas pipeline off the coast of New York City and struck a new agreement with a controversial Bitcoin mining operation that would allow it to continue operating its fossil fuel plant in the Finger Lakes. She has also delayed state laws aimed at reducing climate pollution.
Her administration also appealed a decision from the state’s Supreme Court that found the Department of Environmental Conservation had violated the law by not rolling out regulations for the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act by a January 2024 deadline. The court ordered the state to release the regulations by February 2026.
Advocates noted that Hochul didn’t address the law during Tuesday’s speech.
“ Governor Hochul has betrayed New Yorkers. She's not following the law, plain and simple, and all of us are deeply disappointed in her failure to lead and represent the people when it comes to public health and affordability in this state,” said Yvonne Taylor, Seneca Lake Guardian co-founder.
Here is a look at a few of the topics that stood out to environmentalists.
Building more housing by changing the environmental review process
According to the governor, a major hurdle for building housing is the “extensive” environmental review process. State and local requirements are designed to alleviate pollution in typically overburdened, low-income communities as well as protect natural resources, water and air quality. The timeline for approval can vary by project and locality with more complex plans taking years to reach a final decision.
Hochul says housing projects experience an average delay of two years and incur hundreds of thousands dollars in cost. The review process requires significant time and cost, which can kill affordable housing projects. The maximum process time will be capped at two years. State agencies will be required to re-evaluate review processes and identify areas to simplify the steps.
In a review conducted by New York City and state officials, more than a thousand housing projects had to undergo lengthy reviews, despite having little impact on the environment.
The governor proposes fast-tracking the process for projects that will not have a significant environmental impact. Her “Let Them Build” agenda takes a “common-sense and balanced reforms” to the process and is intended for housing and critical infrastructure.
If a project is compliant with local zoning and isn’t likely to have significant effects on the environment, then no further review will be needed as long as the land is outside the flood risk areas, located on previously disturbed land, already connected to sewer and water.
Environmental groups support fast-tracking housing and public works, but they said the details are scarce on how scaling-back environmental review will be handled. While advocates said that an expedited process done responsibly could be beneficial, especially when eliminating redundant or unnecessary steps, which could result in more affordable housing.
There is a concern that modifying a rigorous review process could create loopholes for developers to circumvent the system and get around rules that are meant to protect the environment and human health.
“ We want to see safe, affordable housing for New Yorkers,” said Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice. “ We have huge questions about what the governor means by removing regulatory red tape. This is phrasing that has been used by corporate interests for years to fight against community input and common sense public health and environmental protections.”
New nukes in New York
One of the governor’s energy goals is “to keep the lights on.” Electrification, retirement of old plants and new energy-consuming data centers require building more power generation. According to a report released last year by grid operators, the state will need up to 4 gigawatts of new energy sources by the end of this decade.
Hochul has cited an “all of the above” strategy when it comes to filling the energy gap, which includes the approval of new pipelines and a delay in retiring peaker plants — often powered by oil or gas and used only at times of peak demand.
The governor supports building nuclear reactors upstate, where many of the new energy-intensive industries are planned. A commercial 1 gigawatt reactor takes about a decade to build and can cost $10 billion to $28 billion.
The cost of building new reactors should give the state pause, said Joseph Romm, a senior researcher at Penn State University,
”New nuclear in the state would actually raise rates in New York state before those plants were ever turned on,” Romm said. “There's no possible way of saying that new nuclear is consistent with an affordability agenda. That is magical thinking. She's getting bad advice.”
Romm also pointed out the case of two nuclear reactors in South Carolina where construction halted in 2017, four years into construction and after $9 billion had been spent. Ratepayers are still paying for the incomplete facility without reaping any benefits, Romm said. Given the evolving mood toward nuclear power, Romm said New York could find itself in a similar situation.
To expedite nuclear projects, Hochul is directing state agencies to “establish a clear pathway” for new reactors to come online, including a new process at the Department of Public Service that will review and facilitate four gigawatts of power on top of the one gigawatt that will be managed by the New York Power Authority.
But some communities are not so eager to host a nuclear reactor.
Residents of Schuyler County in the Finger Lakes rallied on Monday when they learned their county could be considered for a new reactor. Protesters pointed to a Harvard study released last month that observed elevated levels of cancer within approximately 18 miles of a reactor.
Overall, observers said Hochul got a tepid response to the plan to expand nuclear power in the state.
”It was a remarkable moment when she tried to do a bunch of applause lines around nuclear and it was like crickets chirping in the hall,” said Pete Sikora, campaigns director at New York Communities for Change. ”There was a real tepid response to her proposal for big nuclear power because it's incredibly expensive.”
A nod to renewable energy
The governor touted the state’s clean energy accomplishments, including the Champlain Hudson Power Express, which will bring 1.25 gigawatts of Canadian hydropower over the border and is on track for completion in the middle of this year.
The state will introduce the Soil and Sun Program, which will allow farmers to diversify revenue by using part of their land for solar panels.
Since the state streamlined its renewable energy permitting process in 2021, 31 large-scale solar and wind projects have been approved, representing more than 4.2 gigawatts of clean energy — enough to power roughly 1.5 million homes.
Public schools will take on a big role in going green. Hochul wants to update rules so that educational facilities would have the flexibility to install different types of solar panels.
Advocates said the governor isn’t doing enough to advance renewable energy.
“ The single biggest thing she can do is to build new renewable projects and they're doing it, but at an incredibly slow pace,” said Alex Beauchamp, northeast director for Food & Water Watch.