A crew of eco-warrior state lawmakers admitted they knew all along that the Empire State’s green energy law would send costs soaring but want to ram the policy through anyway.

Some 17 current and former legislators made the extraordinary admission in an April 17 court brief as they try to force Gov. Kathy Hochul to impose a series of lofty mandates and optimistic timelines outlined in a 2019 anti-climate change law.

Hochul is negotiating to try to tweak the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 as New Yorkers’ get walloped by ballooning energy bills which are expected to go even higher as utilities scramble to meet deadlines that critics call wildly unrealistic.

The filing claims the architects of the law knew all along there would be a big price tag for the Democratic-dominated legislature’s green crusade.

“The Act’s language confirms that economic considerations were incorporated into its framework,” the court filing states. “The [law] also directly acknowledges that the transition to a clean energy economy may impose costs and affect certain sectors more than others.”

The law acknowledged “the risk of job displacement” and “adverse effects on small businesses” but said the state Department of Environmental Conservation should work to try to minimize cost to everyday New Yorkers, the eco activist politicians said in the filing

“This general mandate does not, however, as DEC suggests, instruct the agency to avoid the costs of climate action altogether by refusing to comply with the mandate to issue regulations,” they stated. “Rather, the Act directs DEC to manage and mitigate those costs while carrying out the statute’s emissions reduction goals.”

The brief was signed by lawmakers including Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal, and Democratic Socialists of America Assembly members Emily Gallagher, Diana Moreno and Phara Souffrant Forrest.

The amicus curiae brief was filed in support of a lawsuit from climate change activists to force the Hochul administration to implement the law, instead of fighting to delay compliance.

A state Supreme Court judge ordered Hochul to enforce the law, but the administration filed an appeal while the governor negotiates to amend the edict, which would make the court case moot.   

Business and consumer advocates blasted the “out of touch” filing by lawmakers in support of raising energy prices.

“This amicus brief is completely out of touch—and frankly, unconscionable,” said Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United.

“At a time when New Yorkers are already struggling with rising costs, these lawmakers are going out of their way to advocate in court for a position that would effectively force many struggling families to shoulder steep new energy and transportation expenses just to heat their homes and commute to work.”

The green energy law has goals of 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040 and 70% “renewable,” non-fossil fuel energy by 2030. The law also promised reductions in gas emissions, with promises of bringing levels down by 40% in 2030 and 85% by 2050.

But replacing natural gas with other energy-generating options has been a struggle and industry experts say the Empire State’s grid has become less reliable while usage jumps and old infrastucture is pushed to its limits.

Ken Lovett, the governor’s senior communications advisor on energy and environment, said “struggling New Yorkers cannot be expected to shoulder higher costs” as he blamed the federal government for increasing costs across the board.

“While we don’t comment on pending litigation, Governor Hochul has made clear the need to make common-sense changes to the law to keep the lights on and costs down for all New Yorkers,” Lovett said. “While some would have us bury our heads in the sand by ignoring the economic and political challenges we face, Governor Hochul is focused on delivering for New Yorkers.”

A report by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority claims that without changes, the impact of the climate change act by 2031 could boost gas at the pump by $2.23 per gallon, increase natural gas costs to $2,300 a year in New York City households and more than $4,000-a-year for upstate households.

The state would only be able to offset some of those costs, the analysis said.