Environmental Review Gets Overhaul

Countdown to Zero: Shifting Goals Part 1: In the Dark Part 2: Backup Power

State revises landmark climate legislation In 2019, New York State enacted ambitious climate goals: 70 percent of electricity produced by renewable sources by 2030; 100 percent zero-emissions electricity by 2040; and 85 percent less greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 than in 1990. Last week, the ambition was adjusted. Gov. Kathy Hochul argued that the goals had become unrealistic because of the pandemic, the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, supply chain problems and the Trump administration's shutdown of renewable energy projects. As part of budget negotiations with the Legislature for 2026-27, key provisions of the 2019 law were scaled back. The first goal is off the books (the state already estimated it would take at least until 2033), and the 2040 target was changed to 60 percent fewer emissions compared to 1990, if "feasible and cost-effective." Only the 2050 target remains unchanged. Rachel Spector, a lawyer for the environmental group Earthjustice, isn't sure what that means. "We were always going to only be reducing emissions to the extent feasible," she said. Earthjustice and other environmental groups sued New York State last year for failing to follow its own climate law. Hochul said meeting the climate goals would result in "enormous costs to families" in energy bills and that she wanted a "reality check." A memo released by the state in February claimed that some New York households could face $4,000 or more in additional energy costs by 2031 under the climate law, a figure critics called misleading. Legislators said there was no way to get a budget deal done if they didn't agree to change the benchmarks. "We are watching New York become the first state in the country to roll back its climate laws," Assembly Member Anna Kelles, whose district includes Ithaca, told NY Focus. "It's disappointing and embarrassing." The 2019 law gave the state five years to enact specific legislation governing how emissions reductions would happen. It spent several years designing a "cap-and-invest" program, in which large polluters would be fined for excess emissions and the proceeds would be invested in renewable energy, grid upgrades, job creation and consumer rebates, among other benefits. In 2025, a year after the deadline, the state abandoned cap-and-invest. That led to the lawsuit. The state argued in court that economic conditions made enacting cap-and-invest unfeasible — a state judge in Ulster County responded that the law is the law. In October, the judge ruled that the state had to start a cap-and-invest program or change the laws. With the passage of the 2026-27 budget, it did the latter, setting a new deadline of 2028 to pass emissions-reduction laws that could include cap-and-invest. While environmentalists consider the 2028 deadline a minor victory (Hochul had proposed 2030), Spector said the changes seem designed "to allow the state to wiggle out of being held accountable. Whether we're talking about climate or criminal justice, this is how it works. The Legislature makes laws, agencies implement them, and if they don't do it according to the law, people have the right to go to court." Instead, the governor "hijacked the budget process" to avoid accountability, she said. In addition to moving the benchmarks, the new law changes how New York State calculates emissions. In the past, the formula accounted for the potency of each greenhouse gas. For instance, methane, the primary component of natural gas, is far more powerful than carbon dioxide, but its impact fades after about 12 years. Carbon dioxide, by contrast, remains in the atmosphere for centuries. As a result, when the 2019 law was drafted, scientists urged the state to calculate the impact of methane over a 20-year horizon and of carbon dioxide over a 100-year horizon. The state complied. But now, methane has been shifted to a 100-year horizon, which many scientists believe underestimates its impact on global temperatures. In addition, New York will ...

Sidewalks, Crosswalks, Community Spaces Capital plans Community center

Beacon council continues review of capital needs More than 60 percent of the sidewalks and 80 percent of crosswalks in Beacon are in "good" to "very good" condition, meaning they are at least generally accessible to people with disabilities and, for crosswalks, adequately visible with little damage, according to a recent Dutchess County study. Creighton Manning, a Poughkeepsie engineering firm, spent 124 hours in the field, noting 2,400 observation points, from last fall through the spring, to produce a report on the city's pedestrian facilities. A draft of the report, which was funded by the Dutchess Transportation Council, was shared with the City Council on Monday (June 1). The study cataloged Beacon's sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps and pedestrian signals, evaluating each on a scale from 1 (worst) to 4 (best). Seventeen percent of the city's 281,000 feet of sidewalks were considered "fair" (2); 19 percent were "poor" (1). There are 274 crosswalks; 11 percent were visible with some damage (2), but just 2 percent were extremely deteriorated (1). The city's 856 curb ramps, the sloped section of sidewalk leading into a curb, were ranked highly, with 82 percent "good" or "very good" (3 or 4), 12 percent "fair" (2) and 6 percent "poor" (1). There are pedestrian signals at about a dozen sites in Beacon, and all were said to function properly. Creighton Manning also created maps showing priority locations for sidewalk and curb ramp improvements, with each ranked for proximity to Main Street, schools and public parks. Needs were spread throughout the city and Mayor Lee Kyriacou said they mostly reflected his own observations. While not part of the report, Transportation Council data collected by volunteers in 2025 showed that Beacon's Main Street had the most pedestrian traffic in the county. The Creighton Manning study found the sidewalk on Main Street to be "very good," the highest of the four grades, although a number of sidewalks in the Main Street-adjacent Transitional Zone were graded "poor." Crosswalks on and around Main Street were largely given a 3 or 4 as "adequate" or "like new." The City Council will hold a public hearing on June 15 on nearly $10 million in spending on equipment and capital projects scheduled for 2027. Each year, the council must approve funding for the following year's capital plan by July 31. Of five funding streams for 2027 projects, the city expects to receive the most ($4.3 million) from state and federal aid, said Finance Director Susan Tucker. Most of that ($3.6 million) will be used to rehabilitate Beekman Street. Tucker said Beacon plans to borrow $3.1 million and allocate $1.9 million of it as additional funding to construct a water-storage tank at the Mount Beacon Reservoir. (The city budgeted $1.6 million on the project in 2026.) About $2.4 million of the city's savings will be used for other projects, the most expensive of which is the first phase of improvements to the southwest corner of Memorial Park ($308,000). The final two funding sources, grants and a recreation trust that developers pay into, will provide $55,000 and $92,000 next year, respectively. Two weeks ago, during the council's initial review of its five-year capital plan, there was some debate about when and how the city should move ahead with plans for a community or enhanced recreation center. On Monday, council members seemed to agree that the next step would be to dedicate funding in the 2027 operating budget for a feasibility report. The council has the option each year to set aside funding for planning studies; the 2026 budget includes $100,000 to be split between a study to create a biking master plan and housing resources. A study in 2027 would likely provide insight into programming needs. Further research would be needed to determine whether improvements to the Recreation Department building at 23 West Center St. could satisfy Beacon residents' desire for a "third space" where the community — particularly chi...

Among the Stars

New film chronicles longtime celebrity reporter For three decades, George Carroll Whipple III, who lives in a castle atop a hill in Philipstown, has been a beloved staple of 24-hour cable channel NY1. With his trademark eyebrows, the entertainment reporter would snag the attention of passing red-carpet celebrities and was such a fixture he was parodied on Saturday Night Live. And next weekend, at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, a documentary about his life, Whipple's World, will premiere. When director Adam Paul Verity proposed the film several years ago, Whipple demurred. "I said, 'That is a very stupid idea because nobody would be interested in my life,' and even though I'm sort of a public person, I'm an extremely private person." Verity persisted, and Whipple participated, but says he doesn't have immediate plans to see the 78-minute film. "I can't watch myself," he says. "But, somehow, Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal took it into the Tribeca Film Festival [which they founded following 9/11], which was extremely gracious and kind of them." How did a prep school (Choate) and Ivy League (Columbia) grad become a paparazzo and entertainment reporter in signature Brooks Brothers suits? Blame Andy Warhol. The two met at Studio 54. "He always had that Minox camera," Whipple says. "He said to me, 'Take pictures of your friends, George. It's very important.' Andy realized it was a gilded youth and a very unusual time. So I started photographing my friends, and I did that for a decade while I was practicing law." After a decade as a photographer for publications like Playboy, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine and Town & Country, Whipple enrolled at New York University's film school. His student film, he says, was terrible. "I decided I'd report on movies instead of making movies," he says. Whipple digitized his 30 years of celebrity interviews for The Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio). He considers them part of the history of New York City. Whipple's World follows him to Putnam County, where his family has farmed for generations. Today, he's on the board of directors and specializes in employment law at Epstein Becker Green. His Whipple Heritage Conservation Foundation preserves endangered North American livestock breeds. "When I grew up here, we used to have to stop on the way home, and the cows would cross the road," he says. "Those days are gone, but I would like to have children in the next generation to at least be able to glimpse farm life." Another family foundation, Preserve Putnam County, protects historic buildings and landscapes. He has been hands-on with one landmark: Castle Rock, where he lives with his daughter, Elizabeth. Whipple purchased the 10,518-square-foot mansion, which had been vacant for 35 years, in 2021 and began restoration work. "My friends who grew up in castles, from old English families, said, 'George, you can never finish a castle. They're always falling down.'" Whipple is a Putnam County booster and is working with former Gov. George Pataki and others for the county's celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. "But for the chain [across the Hudson], we would be under a British flag," he says. "No question about it. The revolution was won in Putnam County." Whipple's home includes a room where he displays an impressive collection of Putnam County artifacts and memorabilia. He also has a wig and Revolutionary uniform ready for reenactments. Next on his list: rebuild the Ludington Mill that burned in the 1970s. "Washington was there. We fed the troops from that mill, and it should be reconstructed," he says. "As George Pataki says, 'The only problem with George Whipple is he doesn't have any energy.' " Whipple's World will have screenings during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 12, 13 and 14. See dub.sh/whipples-world.

Environmental Review Gets Overhaul

Changes give municipalities more control The state's 2019 climate law wasn't the only environmental legislation to get an overhaul in budget negotiations. It also amended the State Environmental Quality Review Act to exempt much of the new housing construction from the standard environmental review process. Gov. Kathy Hochul argued that SEQRA, enacted 50 years ago, is redundant because development projects undergo local review. The revision had support from some environmental groups, who hoped it would reduce sprawl while making it easier to build affordable housing. "SEQRA has improved a lot of planning in New York, but it still creates these real costs in the development process," said Johnathan Clark of Scenic Hudson. But Scenic Hudson and other environmental groups felt the law had too many loopholes; the final version addressed many, but not all, of their concerns. One requirement Hochul proposed is that projects exempted from the SEQRA process must be on a "disturbed" site rather than on untouched areas. Critics asked if a 50-acre property had a single house, could a buyer argue that the entire 50 acres was "disturbed"? Clark noted that the enacted law lets local planners interpret the rules. "We see that as an improvement," he said. Hochul's previous housing plan, a 2023 proposal to build 800,000 units over 10 years, fell apart after municipalities said that it would compromise their autonomy. "This is more respectful of home rule," said Pete Lopez, a former state legislator and regional EPA director who works for Scenic Hudson. "This is less prescriptive than what created that uproar in the past." The law also clarifies that former industrial sites, or anything adjacent to them, cannot escape SEQRA review. "A lot of contamination can move off of an immediate property line," said Tracy Brown, the president of Riverkeeper. Hochul's original proposal included two sizing requirements for a project to be exempt: one for New York City and one for the rest of the state. Environmental groups argued that there should be more categories; otherwise, a 300-unit development exempted in Yonkers or Buffalo could also be built in Cold Spring. The final law sets three caps: 250 to 500 for New York City, 300 for urbanized areas outside of New York City and 100 for non-urbanized areas. "That's still a lot for Garrison or Cold Spring, but at least it's better than 300," said Brown. The law also clarifies that any project in a municipality without zoning laws — a distinction that applies to about 20 percent of the state — must undergo a SEQRA review for projects over 20 units. "These SEQRA changes might make certain kinds of development easier, but it's still the actual local laws that are saying what can be built and where," Clark said.

State Approves $269 Billion Budget How They Voted Auto insurance Childcare Education Environmental Immigration enforcement Public safety Utilities

Includes rebate checks, retiree changes Teachers in the Beacon, Haldane and Garrison school districts, waiters at Highlands eateries and millions who filed income tax returns in 2024 are among the winners in a newly enacted $269 billion state budget that also seeks to reduce auto insurance rates and utility costs. After several contentious issues delayed passage of the budget for nearly two months past the April 1 start of the fiscal year, Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators finalized a 2026-27 spending plan on May 28. The budget is 10 bills passed by the Senate and Assembly on May 26 and 27 and enacted by the governor. Sen. Rob Rolison, a Republican whose district includes the Highlands, voted yes on all the bills except for one funding public protection and general government. He was the only Republican to vote yes on two bills: one to pay for health and mental hygiene programs, and one for miscellaneous legislation. Assembly Members Jonathan Jacobson, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, and Dana Levenberg, a Democrat whose district includes Philipstown, voted yes on all 10 bills. One of the provisions is a round of rebate checks that will be issued this fall in response to rising electricity and gas rates. An estimated 8.2 million residents who filed taxes in 2024 and made up to $300,000 will receive checks ranging from $100 for individuals to $200 for joint filers. Another utility-related initiative in the budget will freeze electricity and gas rates at existing levels if the Public Service Commission denies a utility's request to increase prices. Jacobson, who introduced the proposal in the Assembly, said it amends state law that allowed a utility to automatically receive its full request if the PSC rejects its proposed new rates without proposing an alternative. "For too long, utilities have held customers hostage to their demands," he said. "Now, if the PSC determines that the rate increase should be zero, it will be zero." Waiters, bartenders, food deliverers and other workers who rely on tips will not have to pay income taxes on gratuities up to $25,000, in line with a federal law that expires in 2028. Hochul and state lawmakers also agreed to revise the Tier 6 retirement bracket, which applies to state and local public employees whose service began on or after April 1, 2012. The state budget is a series of bills passed by the Senate and Assembly and enacted by the governor. Here is how Sen. Rob Rolison, a Republican whose district includes the Highlands, and Assembly members Jonathan Jacobson, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, and Dana Levenberg, a Democrat whose district includes Philipstown, voted on May 26 and 27. State Operations (S9000D) Senate 43-19: Rolison yes | Assembly 102-40: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Legislature and Judiciary (S9001A) Senate 45-17: Rolison yes | Assembly 98-44: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Debt Service Fund (S9002A) Senate 48-10: Rolison yes | Assembly 109-34: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Aid to Localities (S9003D) Senate 44-18: Rolison yes | Assembly 112-30: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Capital Projects Budget (S9004D) Senate 45-17: Rolison yes | Assembly 111-31: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Public Protection and General Government (S9005C) Senate 39-22: Rolison no | Assembly 93-47: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Education, Labor, Housing, Family Assistance (S9006C) Senate 58-3: Rolison yes | Assembly 119-25: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Health and Mental Hygiene (S9007C) Senate 42-20: Rolison yes* | Assembly 102-41: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Transportation, Economic Development, Environmental (S9008C) Senate 53-10: Rolison yes | Assembly 110-33: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes Miscellaneous Legislation (S9009C) Senate 38-24: Rolison yes* | Assembly 91-52: Jacobson yes; Levenberg yes *Rolison was the only Republican to vote yes on this bill. Teachers and teaching assistants in that bracket will be able to retire five years earlier, at 58. The changes also increase the amou...