This page summarizes the results of my calculations of the observed costs of the environmental initiatives of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in general and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in particular. I also provide links to estimates by others outside the Administration as I find them. I also track Climate Act costs in different categories: Typical Residential Customer Costs, Direct Climate Act Subsidies, Indirect Climate Act Subsidies, Climate Act Cost Overruns, and Climate Act Integration Analysis Assumed Costs and Updated Costs Differences.
In the post, Climate Act Ratepayer Costs Will be Enormous, I evaluate the Public Service Commission’s first annual informational report on the implementation of the Climate Act. This is the first report that estimates ratepayer costs. In the worst case I estimate that when upcoming Climate Act related costs are included in the rate cases for every utility in the state, those costs will be greater than the total current monthly bill. Monthly electric bills could double.
New York Clean Energy Program Costs
The New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Costs table lists the claimed cumulative annual CO2 reductions, the cumulative expenditures and the resulting cost effectiveness for those reductions for different New York programs. Links to posts on each of these programs is included in the table too. I have calculated the emission reductions necessary to meet the CLCPA goal for a 40% reduction of GHG emissions from 1990 by 2030.
Cost Estimate Articles
- CLCPA Scoping Plan Net Direct Cost Estimates December 13, 2021
- Citizens Guide to the Climate Act December 14, 2021
- Review of Costs in Green Scheme: The Climate Action Council’s Climate Transition Cost Analysis December 15, 2021
- CLCPA Residential Heating Cost Assumptions December 19, 2021
- Climate Act Scoping Plan Electrification Cost Comparison January 13, 2022
- CLCPA Residential Heating Cost Assumptions Update January 28, 2022
- Climate Act Scoping Plan Cost Documentation Failures February 10, 2022
- The Real Cost of the Climate Act February 19, 2022
- Scoping Plan Cost Obfuscation March 14, 2022
- New York Needs $15 Billion in Climate Funding Now – Not! March 21, 2022
- New York Climate Act: Cost Estimate Sleight of Hand March 27, 2022
- Climate Act Benefits Greater than Costs Claim Numbers Update May 30, 2022
- Solar Subsidies in New York July 31, 2022
- Climate Act Cost of Inaction Misinformation October 16, 2022
- Climate Act Scoping Plan Costs Shell Game December 28, 2022
- New York Energy Storage Roadmap – Cost Projections January 8, 2023
- Empire Center Ten Reasons Climate Act May Cost More Than It Is Worth February 3, 2023
- Following the Climate Crisis Money February 12, 2023
- Climate Act Hidden Costs for Upstate New York February 18, 2023
- Offshore Wind Transmission Cost Subsidies April 1, 2023
- Climate Act Electric Vehicle Charging April 18, 2023
- Climate Act Cost Tracking and EV Supply Equipment Example May 19, 2023
- Washington State Gasoline Prices Are a Precursor to New York’s Future June 23, 2023
- Implementation and Compliance with Climate Act Requirements and Targets – First Impression 7/21/23
- Most climate solutions exist and are economically feasible Not so Fast! July 22, 2023
- NYCI Reference Case vs PSC First Annual Informational Report July 29, 2023
- Climate Act Ratepayer Costs Will be Enormous August 14, 2023
- More on the Enormous Ratepayer Costs of the Climate Act August 16, 2023
- Climate Act Coercion August 31, 2023
- Climate Act Offshore Wind Costs September 11, 2023
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Electric Ratepayer Bills Must Explode to Meet Climate Act Mandates September 13, 2023 –Major error do not reference- Corrected Version – Electric Ratepayer Bills Must Increase Significantly to Meet Climate Act Mandates
- Siena College Poll and the Climate Act September 22, 2023
- New Climate Reality is Passing New York By October 1, 2023
- New York Energy Burden Definition November 11, 2023
- New York Ten Point Plan Contract Renegotiation November 18, 2023
- America’s Largest-Ever Investment in Renewable Energy November 22, 2023
- Climate Act Misinformation: Cost Effectiveness Value of Societal Effects November 29, 2023
- Implicit Renewable Energy Subsidies January 14, 2023
- Climate Act DEFR Cost Estimate January 18, 2024
- Dutchess County Comments on the Central Hudson Climate Act Implementation Plan January 24, 2024
- NYCI Webinar Preliminary Scenario Analyses – Cost Projections February 2, 2024
- Hochul and Energy Affordability February 17, 2024
- NY Offshore Wind Perspectives February 23, 2024
- National Grid Net-Zero Transition Plans Ignore Ratepayer Concerns June 6, 2024
- Risks of Climate Act Net Zero July 19, 2024
- Offshore Wind Costs September 4, 2024
- Climate Act Costs and the Election Cycle September 10, 2024
- The Math Does Not Support New York’s Climate Plan September 19, 2024
- Vermont Clean Heat Standard Lessons for New York October 2, 2024
- Catastrophic Costs of Green Energy October 10, 2024
- Governor Hochul and Climate Act Affordability February 15, 2025
- Governor Hochul and Climate Act Affordability Part 2 February 17, 2025
- Peer Review and Costs of Building Electrification for Commercial Users March 8, 2025
- Renewables are Cheaper Because of Fuel Volatility March 11, 2025
- My Comments on the NYS Affordability Standard April 14, 2025
- Personal Comments on National Grid Long-Term Gas System Plan Report April 18, 2025
- Are New Yorkers Willing to Pay for the Climate Act? April 20, 2025
- New York Creatively Hides the Costs of the Climate Act May 3, 2025
- New York Residential Utility Accounts in Arrears May 8, 2025
- Residential Utility Sales and Climate Act Recoveries May 10, 2025
- Niagara Mohawk Residential Utility Sales and Climate Act Recoveries May 12, 2025
- Niagara Mohawk Rate Case Ignores Opportunity to Pause Climate Act May 14, 2025
- Personal Statement on Niagara Mohawk Rate Case Joint Proposal May 17, 2025
- Champlain Hudson Power Express Payment in Lieu of Taxes Grift May 23, 2025
- Cheap Solar and Wind Energy Fallacy June 7, 2025
- In Search of the Climate Act Safety Valve June 18, 2025
- Reality Bites Climate Act Affordability July 3, 2025
- Draft NYS Energy Plan Pathways Scenario Scam August 4, 2025
- Draft NYS Energy Plan Pathways Scenario Costs August 6, 2025
- Department of Public Service Second Informational Report on the Climate Act September 24, 2025
- Assembly Hearing Protecting Residential Ratepayers from Certain Increased Energy Costs October 22, 2025
- Climate Act Energy Affordability November 10, 2025
- NYSERDA Energy Plan Affordability Fact Sheet December 13 2025
Other CLCPA Cost Estimates
Getting Greener: Cost-Effective Options for Achieving New York’s Greenhouse Gas Goals by the Citizens Budget Commission estimates that “the cost of meeting the renewable target entirely with offshore wind will increase electricity costs by $2.3 billion annually, an increase of between 8 and 12 percent to New Yorkers’ electric bills”.
Because renewable wind and solar energy production is intermittent vast amounts of energy storage will be required. I made an estimate of the energy storage needed for 2040 and 2050 renewable energy capacity projections for a light wind night time worst-case period on Jan 3-4 2018. Using National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates of battery operations to maximize battery life I estimated that the cost of just energy storage is $176.3 billion.
The Empire Center noted that costs for just the first phase of off-shore wind projects is substantial: “The state Energy Research Development Authority last year estimated an 800 MW offshore wind project would have $4.3 billion in capital costs followed by $109 million in annual operating costs. For the expected 9,000 megawatts, that would put the up-front price tag at more than $48 billion, followed by about $1 billion in annual operating costs.”
On September 22, 2020, the Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal), released a state-by-state report on the capital cost associated with “electrification” for states and the nation. Although it does not directly consider costs for the CLCPA because electrification of the economy is the CLCPA goal it is relevant. The report, and its accompanying data spreadsheet, was authored by Tom Tanton, E&E Legal’s Director of Science and Technology Assessment. For New York to convert the entire economy to use electricity as a fuel the estimated costs are $119,000,000,000 to go to 100% renewable electricity; $208,000,000,000 for the transportation sector; $320,000,000,000 for direct use infrastructure; $63,000,000,000 for households; $541,000,000,000 for commercial buildings; $181,000,000,000 for on-road vehicles; and $34,000,000,000 for off road vehicles, for a grand total of $1,465,000,000,000.
Other Clean Energy Program Cost Estimates
The United Kingdom (UK) has a decarbonization target of net zero emissions by 2050 which is basically the same as New York’s 2050 goal. National Grid has developed Future Energy Scenarios (FES) that “provide transparent, holistic paths through future, uncertain energy landscapes” which translates to their guesses how the UK target can be met. The Global Warming Policy Foundation paper The Future of GB Electricity Supply found that “decarbonising the electricity system and domestic housing in the next three decades will cost over £2.3 trillion pounds. The final bill will surpass £3 trillion, or £100,000 per household, once the cost of decarbonising major emitting sectors like manufacturing, transport and agriculture are included”.
The green energy policies of Germany are often cited as an example for New York to follow. In 2021 German household electricity prices reached a new high.
Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York 