Climate law clash heats up in Albany

A new state memo warning of rising energy costs is fueling a growing fight over New York’s 2019 climate law, according to the Times Union.

The analysis from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority suggests strict emissions mandates could raise natural gas and oil costs by more than $4,000 a year for some upstate households and significantly increase costs for businesses.

Environmental groups and many Democratic lawmakers dispute the projections and say weakening the law would raise energy bills instead of lowering them. The dispute is intensifying as state leaders negotiate the upcoming budget and debate whether the climate targets should change.