New York's energy plan is shifting to a tighter focus on affordability

And Hochul is facing mounting pressure to sign the physician-assisted death bill.

Good afternoon — It’s Friday and National Pickle Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• New York’s 15-year energy plan is expected to be approved next month but will look different from the draft released over the summer.

• Licensed hemp retailers are facing massive fines from the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Here’s why.

• There’s mounting pressure for Hochul to sign the physician-assisted death bill.

• The state Legislature has scheduled four hearings for next week.

• Hochul has signed the 12 bills that were on her desk. Here’s what those were.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Amanda Lefton, Amy Paulin, Dana Levenberg, Shelley Mayer, MaryJane Shimsky, Maurene Comey

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(Will Waldron/Times Union)

⚡ New York’s plan for energy through 2040 to include tighter focus on affordability

New York is at an inflection point for its energy future. A plan set to be finalized next month will chart the state’s course on energy through 2040.

Those are supposed to be an eventful 15 years under the state’s renewable energy and emissions mandates, required by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019.

New York is supposed to begin producing at least 70% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030, the same year the state is required to have reduced emissions from fossil fuels by 40%.

Five years later, New York is supposed to require that all new cars sold are zero-emission vehicles. And by 2040, all of the state’s electricity is supposed to be generated from zero-emission sources.

New York has already conceded that it won’t meet the milestones required by 2030. The state’s buildout of renewable energy has not proceeded quickly enough for that to happen. State officials blame pandemic-era supply chain issues and federal policies.

That’s why the 2025 Energy Plan is so important. If the state was on pace to meet its mandates, the plan would lay out that progress and how it will continue.

But instead, the plan has to strike a delicate balance between continuing to work toward the state’s energy and emissions standards while addressing the increasingly high utility bills reported by ratepayers.

The state’s Energy Planning Board met Thursday to hear feedback on the draft plan they released over the summer as well as changes recommended by staff based on the 15,000 written comments that were received.

Staff described the regular push-and-pull on how the state’s energy should be produced. Some commenters want more reliance on fossil fuels while others said the state should double its efforts to expand renewable energy.

In the background of many of the points made, though, was another concern.

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton (Will Waldron/Times Union)

That was affordability, which has become a focus of Gov. Kathy Hochul and her administration, including state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton.