By: Daisy Fay Buchanan

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin delivered a scathing rebuke of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act on Sunday, calling the ambitious green energy plan championed by Governor Kathy Hochul and state Democrats “delusional” and a “left-wing recipe for an energy and economic catastrophe,” as The New York Post originally reported.

Zeldin’s criticism comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s decision to pause the Empire Wind Power project off the coast of New York and New Jersey—an unexpected blow to the state’s efforts to meet its aggressive emission reduction targets under the 2019 Climate Act. “New York’s lofty climate goals don’t come equipped with any feasible plan to actually achieve them,” Zeldin told The Post. “The consequence is that the people who can least afford the economic pain are the ones who get targeted and harmed the most.”

The former Long Island congressman, who ran against Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial race, also blasted policies that restrict fossil fuel use. He cited the state’s ban on gas hookups in new buildings, prohibitions on new natural gas pipelines, and future bans on gas stoves and gas-powered vehicles. “The idea that we can replace baseload forms of power with intermittent power like wind is simply delusional,” Zeldin said, according to The New York Post.

Other energy policy experts echoed Zeldin’s concern, saying New York’s climate law needs serious revision to be viable. The law requires the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and transition to 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040—goals many now view as unattainable under current conditions.

“We can flap our arms. It doesn’t mean we’re going to fly,” said John Howard, former interim chair of the Public Service Commission. He called for a fundamental reassessment of the law’s mandates, suggesting the state had been overly optimistic. “Let’s face reality,” he told The Post.

Adding to the pressure, federal tax credits that support solar and wind development may be slashed or eliminated in the upcoming federal budget being negotiated by President Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress, The New York Post exclusively reported.

Meanwhile, utility giant Con Edison recently proposed double-digit hikes in gas and electric rates, partially blaming the state’s green energy mandates. Even some Democrats have joined Republicans in urging Hochul to slow the transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.

Public resistance is also growing over the construction of dozens of lithium-ion battery storage sites in residential neighborhoods. Critics fear that poorly sited facilities could spark fires or toxic leaks.

“There needs to be an honest discussion about the energy mandates and whether they are real or not,” said Gavin Donohue, CEO of the Independent Power Producers of New York and a former member of the state’s Climate Action Council.

Despite mounting criticism, Hochul remained non-committal on amending the Climate Act. Her office instead criticized the Trump administration for disrupting the federally approved Empire Wind project. “We have one of the cleanest grids in the nation — with 50% zero-emission electricity — and are a gold standard in reliability,” said Hochul spokesman Paul DeMichele.

But Zeldin doubled down, insisting the Trump administration is pursuing a more rational path. “The Trump EPA understands that we can and must protect the environment AND grow the economy,” he said.