N.Y. Governor Abandons Methane Proposal Amid Climate Law Criticism

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has backed down from her proposal to revise the state's landmark climate law, which critics said would have weakened the measure. Hochul had proposed changes to the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, including altering the time frame used to measure greenhouse gas emissions, which would have benefited the energy industry. Environmentalists argued that the change would underplay the impact of methane, a potent gas that dissipates in the atmosphere more quickly than carbon dioxide. Hochul's administration insists that the accounting method should be changed, noting that the current approach includes some emissions that occur in other states, adding to costs for New Yorkers.