Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s bid to delay some climate-law deadlines, which has helped hold up the now-one-month-late state budget deal, might make it seem like she cares about \u201caffordability.\u201d<\/p>\n
But proof keeps popping up that the gov has every intention<\/a> of letting that law hit New Yorkers deep in their pocketbooks \u2014 after she\u2019s safely re-elected.<\/p>\n Hochul hopes to keep it all quiet, because the truth would expose her \u201caffordability\u201d promise as a big lie.<\/p>\n Under the 2019 climate law, the gov was supposed to release a \u201ccap and trade\u201d plan by 2024 to slash private-sector greenhouse-gas emissions.<\/p>\n But she knows<\/a> that having any such program spelled out will make the ginormous costs to average New Yorkers impossible to hide \u2014 so she let the 2024 deadline pass without the plan<\/p>\n \t\t\tMore From\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPost Editorial Board<\/p>\n But greens sued, and a judge found her in violation of the law, so now she wants the Legislature to move the deadline to 2028 (a retreat from her original ask, 2030).<\/p>\n She also wants to ignore a 2030 deadline to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 40% in favor of a goal of 60% by 2040 (when the insane standard will be some future governor\u2019s problem).<\/p>\n She also wants emissions calculated on a 100-year timeframe, as is done almost everywhere else, rather than the 20-year period the New York law now requires.<\/p>\n These changes would delay the worst pain for a few years, but add up to little more than moving deck chairs on the Titanic.<\/p>\n New Yorkers can\u2019t \u201cafford\u201d this draconian climate insanity by 2030, 2040 \u2014 or ever.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet opinions and commentary from our columnists\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n (In any event, it\u2019s near-certain the goals will never be met<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Meanwhile, New Yorkers will be getting zapped: The law will cost every household an additional $4,000 a year as soon as 2031.<\/p>\n