Western New York state lawmakers are the target of an intense lobbying effort pitting environmental groups against organized labor and a local utility over legislation to encourage renewable energy.
The wrangling is over legislation (A.B. 4870A) that would mandate the state utility regulator and gas companies plan for future reductions in gas consumption while potentially capping energy costs for low-income people. It comes at a time when President Donald Trump is cutting federal climate change initiatives.
The measure is among the most contentious in the final weeks of the session in Albany that ends in mid-June. The state ...