Hochul Paused Carbon Pricing to Get More Feedback — But Hasn’t Asked for Any

When Governor Kathy Hochul abruptly hit the brakes in January on a sweeping program to price pollution, she said the state needed more time to “get it right.”

Holding off on the cap and invest program would allow “more space and time for public transparency,” her 2025 agenda briefing book promised.

Later that month, the then–head of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation told lawmakers that the agency would “continue the robust stakeholder engagement we have had over the past few months” on New York’s plan to ratchet down pollution while raising billions for the transition to clean energy.

Four months on, there’s little sign that Hochul’s administration has continued those efforts.

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“Our coalition members continue to try and engage with the executive around the urgent need to move forward with cap and invest this year,” said Stephan Edel, executive director of the climate justice coalition NY Renews. “It’s frustrating how little we’ve heard from the governor on a program that would benefit residents statewide.”

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