New York and California both recently amended their signature cap-and-invest programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, citing the high cost of utilities. Some say the changes will only make the problem worse.
In Brief:
- Two of the most ambitious climate laws in the country were pared back this spring amid concerns about energy costs.
- Some lawmakers in New York and California worried that aggressive limits on emissions could raise energy costs even higher.
- Advocates say the high cost of fossil fuels shows the need to invest in alternative energy sources.
The cost of utilities has spiked across the country in recent years. Most Americans in most states are paying more for water, electricity and gas — and the high cost of energy is scrambling the politics of climate change.
Recently, two states with some of the most ambitious climate laws in the nation took steps to ease previously imposed limits on greenhouse gas emissions and postpone deadlines for carbon reductions. The changes, in New York and California, affect cap-and-invest programs, which set statewide limits on emissions and allow industries to buy and sell emissions allowances in a marketplace. In both cases, Democrats as well as Republicans cited high consumer energy costs as a reason to pull back on their regulations.
governing.com
June 30, 2026 • Jared Brey