Key States Fall Short on Climate Commitments while Growing Threat Looms
In an alarming revelation, officials in New York admitted that their state is falling behind on their ambitious climate goals. And in California, although the state is mostly on track to meet its 2030 Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), California will have difficulty hitting a 90% 2035 target without record levels of customer-generation. This confession and the difficult road ahead come as a significant blow to the image both states have cultivated as leaders in the transition to clean energy. Governors Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York frequently laud their states’ effective policies and commitment to clean energy. However, the reality on the ground shows they are not taking the necessary steps to stay on track. At this critical juncture in the transition to 100% clean energy, we need decisive and unwavering leadership.
California and New York have long been seen as trailblazers in the shift to renewable energy, with ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. California’s mandate to achieve 90% carbon-free by 2035 and 100% clean electricity by 2045 and New York’s mandates of 70% renewable energy by 2030 and zero emissions by 2040, are emblematic of their leadership aspirations. Yet, recent reports reveal that both states are struggling to meet interim targets. This is no surprise, as California rejects opening access to solar for renters and curtails access for everyone else and New York fails to utilize its recent authority to build publicly owned renewable energy through the New York Power Authority.
These two states are not alone in these shortfallings. Illinois, while not ringing public alarm bells, faces its own set of challenges. The state has made strides in promoting renewable energy through local rooftop and community solar. At the same time, the state’s overall transition to cleaner energy sources has been slower than anticipated, with regulatory and financial systems that far too often protect fossil fuels and hamper progress.
California’s path to achieving 100% clean electricity will continue to prove unnecessarily difficult without renewing the state’s commitment to rooftop solar and expanding access to community solar, coupled with significant advancements in energy storage deployment and grid management of these resources. Instead of enlisting the support of customers in this transition, California officials have chosen to gut the state’s most successful rooftop solar policy, net metering, and reject an effective community solar program that would expand access to solar.
New York, on the other hand, is grappling with bureaucratic hurdles and slow implementation of key projects. For instance, the state’s offshore wind program, which aims to generate 9,000 megawatts of power by 2035, has encountered significant delays and economic challenges. The path to permitting and building the required transmission for these and other large scale projects is a long one. The state must use every authority it has, and very specifically the New York Power Authority, to make progress elsewhere while it continues to clear the path for offshore wind.
Despite these holdups, a 100% clean energy system is an achievable reality — thanks to technological advances in renewable energy, solar’s low and declining cost and overwhelming support from the public. We can make significant progress in building that system by focusing on local, clean energy resources like solar and storage.
We know existing climate policies and precedents are increasingly under threat. The history of clean energy policy in the United States is replete with examples of progress stymied by political transitions, making it more important than ever that our leaders get back on course and avoid the setbacks plaguing these key states. Regardless of the outcome of the federal elections, states must build urgent and durable policies that support progress on a safe climate. This is true whether the country stands to benefit from a new infusion of federal support like the Inflation Reduction Act or face the headwinds of an administration writing blank checks to uneconomic coal plants.
The fight against climate change requires more than lofty rhetoric and ambitious targets. It demands concrete actions, unwavering commitment, and adaptive strategies capable of navigating the complex and evolving landscape of energy policy. The stakes are too high, and the time for meaningful action is now.
Additional Resources:
Find Out Where Your State Stands: 100% Clean Energy Collaborative by the Clean Energy States Alliance