New Yorkers are facing some of the highest electricity prices in the country, and even state leaders are beginning to acknowledge that the state’s sweeping climate mandates may be part of the problem. A recent report highlights residents struggling with soaring utility bills, with many households paying more than $400 per month for electricity. The affordability crisis has now reached Albany, where lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul are debating whether the state’s landmark 2019 climate law needs to be revised. The law set ambitious targets: 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and a fully carbon-free grid by 2040. But state officials now…

In her first address to the Virginia General Assembly, according to Cardinal News, Gov. Abigail Spanberger made clear that instead of confronting real drivers of rising energy costs, she’s doubling down on regulations that will make electricity more expensive and burden families and businesses. Spanberger’s centerpiece energy proposal, rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), is emblematic of this misplaced priority. Though she claims it will lower bills and fund efficiency programs, cap-and-trade schemes like RGGI inherently inflate costs for utilities and ratepayers, and that the only guaranteed outcome is more regulatory complexity and higher bills. Rather than focusing on expanding…