New York State of the State Highlights Opportunities Where State Can Expand Climate Action

ALBANY, N.Y. — “Today, Governor Hochul released her 2026 State of the State, which in many ways underscored that New Yorkers stand to gain from continued climate progress — lower bills, cleaner air and safer, more resilient communities. The address highlighted what we already know: that climate impacts — from extreme heat to flooding to rising insurance costs — are impacting New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers can benefit from the Governor’s focus on initiatives that tackle rising utility costs as well as insurance premiums, particularly automatic discounts for housing incorporating climate-safety and resiliency measures. We applaud the emphasis placed on advancing and promoting nature-based approaches to counter increasingly frequent flooding events, in addition to the focus on building more affordable housing outside of flood risk areas. The announcement also includes measures to promote electrification and efficiency programs that will yield immediate and long-term cost savings for New Yorkers.

“Governor Hochul also has the opportunity to expand benefits to more New Yorkers by reinvesting in Sustainable Future Program and we urge her to include this in the executive budget. A recent study from EDF and Greenline Insights finds that another $1 billion investment in the Sustainable Future Program in the FY27 budget would deliver 7,400 new jobs.

“We look forward to working with the Governor to deliver a clean, affordable, climate-safe communities for all New Yorkers.”

— Dr. Karla Sosa, New York State Affairs Manager