Well, New Yorkers, you kinda voted for this when you voted in Democrats as the majority, with 106 Dems to 43 Republicans and 1 Independent. When you vote Democrat for Governor, and they appoint people who make sure “dirty” energy (which is reliable, dependable, and affordable) is killed off. Don’t be surprised when your power costs go higher, and it’s unreliable
N.Y. Court Upholds Denial of Air Permit on Climate Change Grounds
A New York trial court’s ruling to uphold a decision by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to deny a natural gas-fired power plant a key air permit on climate-change grounds could have serious consequences. Although the decision remains subject to appeal, if affirmed it will grant enormous power to state agencies to deny permits and other approvals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the state’s comprehensive climate change statute.
This decision strongly reinforces the need for all businesses in New York to be aware of the statute’s scope and impact.
The CLCPA is a comprehensive statute that requires the nearly complete decarbonization of New York’s economy by 2050. Among its aggressive requirements are a statutory obligation for the state to obtain 100% of its electricity from emissions-free sources by 2040, and a requirement that the DEC establish statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits applicable to all sectors of the economy. (snip)
In 2019, the owner of the Danskammer Generating Station in Newburgh, N.Y., filed an application with the DEC for a new Title V air permit, which would authorize the replacement of its existing natural gas-fired equipment with new, more efficient equipment. On Oct. 27, 2021, the DEC rejected Danskammer’s application on the grounds that the replacement project would increase GHG emissions from the facility (due to more frequent dispatch).
By reaching this decision, the DEC effectively asserted that it has the authority to deny a permit application under Section 7(2) if the proposed action would be inconsistent with or interfere with the statewide GHG emissions limits established under the CLCPA.
So, they just wanted to replace the old equipment with newer, better equipment, which means the existing plant will not be as good, and will have to shut down at some point in the future. What is it being replaced with? No one knows. But, the climate cult must be appeased.
In its decision, the court found that the DEC’s denial of the permit was within the scope of its authority under the CLCPA. While the court acknowledged that Section 7(2) did not expressly authorize regulatory agencies to deny permits, it did not expressly forbid them from doing so, either. It therefore found it necessary to analyze the Legislature’s intent in enacting the law to determine whether agencies have the authority to deny permits under Section 7(2).
Wait, what? This is absurd. If the law didn’t give them the authority to deny permits, that’s it. It doesn’t matter if the law didn’t expressly forbid it. The law must authorize. This is what you get with activist courts. And that’s what you voted for, New Yorkers.
While the case is likely to be appealed, if it were to hold up it would grant to the DEC and other state agencies enormous power to reject permits for any project that they find will materially increase GHG emissions. This would include not just air permits, but other permits issued by the DEC and other agencies, including, but not limited to, wastewater permits, water quality certifications issued under the Clean Water Act, and determinations of consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act.
If this decision is upheld in federal court, it means that NY state agencies can assume power that was not granted to them. Have fun! And stay in New York if you voted Democrat. Don’t try and escape to states that do not have these problems.
The Conference Board’s 
We’re living in a pivotal decade. By 2030, global emissions must fall by half, mostly through massive deployment of commercial solutions such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles. But emerging climate technologies must come to market during this decade too, even if they don’t make much of a dent in emissions right away. The International Energy Agency forecasts that roughly half the reductions needed to cut emissions to nearly zero by 2050 must come from technologies that are not ready for the market today because they’re too expensive to manufacture, haven’t been tested at scale, or both.
Millions of California taxpayers may get thousands of dollars to help combat the high cost of gas and other goods.
With concrete used throughout the city of Portland, city staff and leaders are re-thinking how concrete usage impacts the city’s carbon footprint.
Every heatwave today was made more likely by climate change and there is no longer a need to wait for studies to tease out global warming’s role in individual extreme heat episodes, according to the scientist who pioneered such studies.
