For Immediate Release: March 20, 2026
Media Contact: Patrick Nevada, patrick@alignny.org (646) 866-9065
Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
ALIGN on the CLCPA: Governor Hochul’s False Choice between
Affordability and Public Health Lets Polluters Off the Hook
ALBANY, NY – Today, Governor Hochul announced the details of her plan to weaken the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) by further delaying greenhouse gas emissions regulations to 2030, extending other climate law targets, and shifting the way the state accounts for climate-heating emissions. In response, ALIGN Climate Director Jenille Scott released the following statement:
“Governor Hochul is pitching a false choice between affordability and public health, and it’s a lose-lose for New Yorkers. Let’s be clear: we’re in this position because the Governor dragged her feet on funding NY’s Climate Law and implementing revenue-raisers like Cap and Invest. Our Climate Law is not driving surging energy costs, gas prices are, and more delays and changes only let Big Oil off the hook, leaving New Yorkers to pay the price.
We have answers for affordability — tax the rich, make polluters pay with a proper Cap and Invest program, and fund green energy solutions to create thousands of family-sustaining jobs. This is a question of political will and a choice between greedy fossil fuel corporations and the Black, brown, and immigrant New Yorkers facing sickness and death our climate crisis has wrought. New Yorkers are tired of fighting for the right to health, safety, and stability. We expect good-faith action to meet the mandates for our survival, and that starts with keeping our Climate Law intact.”
Background:
- Analyses by the state and advocates up to this point show that implementing the Climate Law lowers energy bills, creates tens of thousands of jobs, and secures a cleaner, healthier climate.
- Research shows that when revenue from a cap-and-invest system is distributed equitably and targeted by income, it could help most low- to moderate-income New York households save money on their energy bills.
About ALIGN
ALIGN (The Alliance for a Greater New York) brings together labor, climate, and community organizations for a more just, sustainable New York. Working at the intersection of economic and climate justice, ALIGN builds coalitions with those most impacted and uplifts worker and community voices to fight for dignity in the workplace and a just path to a renewable energy economy for all.
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