The Keystone XL pipeline and New York state’s moratorium on fracking — the innovative hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques that have almost single-handedly revolutionized the United States’ domestic energy production in a matter of just a few years and ushered in a new era of abundance — have been comrades in their shared fate of subjection to relentlessly politicized campaigns waged mainly by bands of determined eco-radicals that have gone on for more than five years running. Despite their similar status as common-sense projects that would both clear the way further for said energy abundance whilst creating jobs and growing the economy, both President Obama and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have pretended that their interminable dithering is only due to environmental concerns and the stubbornly outstanding studies thereof, but their concerns are less environmental than they are environmentalist.

In December, Cuomo’s administration pretty much freely indicated that they had no near-future plans to do anything about their fracking moratorium, and the matter was more or less confirmed with the release of their latest energy plan for the state — which didn’t actually mention, oh, I don’t know — the most contested, hot-button energy issue of the day. It’s whatever.

New York’s newly released energy plan calls for increased use of renewable energy and clean technology and anticipates reduced utility bills and a more flexible distribution grid, but takes no position on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in the fertile Marcellus Shale.

While the proposal of the State Energy Planning Board calls for expanding the use of natural gas, instead of oil, for heating and power generation to reduce emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide, it also notes that state officials are reviewing health and environmental concerns regarding fracking. …

Environmental groups have called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban fracking, citing potential hazardous spills and disruption to community life from heavy industrial activity. Hundreds of anti-fracking protesters rallied outside Cuomo’s annual State-of-the-State address Wednesday in Albany, but the governor made no mention of gas drilling in his speech.

So, let’s go ahead and get this straight: New York would like to heavily include natural gas in their long-term plan to greenify their energy infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions, but they are completely content to obtain that gas, procured from the same shale fields on which they sit atop, via pipelines from neighboring states like Pennsylvania? Sweet plan, guys.