Francis Menton’s recent article about New York’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (Climate Act) explained that the decision by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to halt to all construction work on a project called Empire Wind means that one interim target cannot be achieved.   As reality causes the implosion of the Climate Act outsiders undoubtedly wonder why New Yorkers have not called for repeal of the law before.  A recent poll by the Empire Center offers some insight into that question.

The Climate Act established a New York “Net Zero” target (85% reduction in GHG emissions and 15% offset of emissions) by 2050.  It includes an interim requirement for 70% of electricity by 2030. The Climate Action Council (CAC) was responsible for preparing the Scoping Plan that outlined how to “achieve the State’s bold clean energy and climate agenda.”  Lately the State has been trying to implement the Scoping Plan recommendations through regulations, proceedings, and legislation. 

Poll Overview

The Empire Center is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.  In the interests of full disclosure, I am an adjunct fellow of the Empire Center. 

Late last year the Empire Center canvassed 1,021 New York registered voters in a poll conducted by Morning Consult. There were 38 questions in the survey and 16 questions about the demographics of the respondents.  Survey toplines and crosstabs are available.  For survey neophytes like me the topline lists the questions and the overall results.  Crosstabs provide the breakdown of responses to questions by the demographic categories.

There were six questions were included about the Climate Act.  I only address the first two questions in this article.