紐時賞析／美國東北各州 氣候政策倒退

許多民主黨執政的州計劃大幅削減碳排，因爲電費飆漲而被迫縮減規模，圖爲康乃狄克州的風力渦輪機葉片。紐約時報

Northeastern States Scale Down Climate Goals

美國東北各州 氣候政策倒退

Several years ago, Democratic-led states across the Northeast adopted some of the world's most ambitious policies to shift away from fossil fuels and cut planet-warming emissions.

幾年前，美國東北部由民主黨主政的各州，紛紛採行全球最具企圖心的氣候政策，目標是逐步擺脫化石燃料，並大幅降低造成地球暖化的排放。

But today, many states are scaling back or rethinking their climate plans as they miss emissions targets, struggle with soaring electricity bills and confront the Trump administration’s hostility to renewable energy.

時至今日，許多州卻開始縮減或重新檢討這些氣候計劃，因爲它們難以達成減排目標、電費暴漲，同時還得面對川普政府對再生能源的強大敵意。

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently said the state’s goal for deeply cutting emissions by 2030 was now “unattainable” and asked the legislature to rework its landmark climate law. Regulators had been discussing fees on polluters to help meet that goal, but Hochul said the costs passed on to consumers would be too high.

紐約州州長霍楚日前表示，州政府原訂2030年大幅減排的目標「已無法達成」，並要求州議會重新修改具有里程碑意義的氣候法案。此前監管機關曾討論對污染者課徵費用以達成目標，但霍楚指出，這些費用最終會轉嫁給消費者，負擔過重。

In Massachusetts, lawmakers are eyeing cuts to a program that adds charges to utility bills to fund heat pumps and efficiency upgrades, while Gov. Maura Healey has pursued a flurry of energy policy changes to address affordability.

在麻薩諸塞州，州議員正考慮縮減一項從電費中加收費用、以補助熱泵與節能升級的計劃；同時，州長希利也密集推動多項能源政策調整，緩解民衆的負擔壓力。

In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee has proposed delaying a legal deadline for the state to get all of its electricity from renewables, from 2033 to 2050, claiming the current mandate would impose steep near-term costs.

羅德島州州長麥基提議將州內全面使用再生能源的法定期限，從2033年延後到2050年，他認爲現行的強制目標會將短期成本推到非常高。

“The biggest hardship I hear from Rhode Islanders right now is their growing energy bills,” McKee said. “We need to provide relief now.”

「我目前從羅德島州民衆口中聽到最大的困難，就是電費不斷上漲，」麥基表示，「我們必須現在就提供紓困。」

Most Northeastern governors still say tackling global warming is a priority. And climate advocates have fought against rollbacks, arguing that cutting clean energy programs might ease burdens on taxpayers today but will cost more in the long run by leaving the region exposed to volatile oil and gas prices.

儘管如此，大多數東北部州長表示，對抗全球暖化仍是優先要務。氣候倡議團體也強烈反對政策開倒車，他們認爲縮減潔淨能源計劃雖然能暫時減輕民衆負擔，但長期而言，會讓該地區更容易受到油氣價格波動的影響，付出更高代價。

But the ambitious targets look increasingly out of reach. Various states had aimed to reduce emissions roughly in half by 2030 and nearly zero them out by midcentury. Yet New York’s emissions have barely budged since 2021, while carbon dioxide from New England’s power plants has increased the past two years.

但這些雄心勃勃的目標，看來已愈來愈難以達成。各州原本計劃在2030年將排放量減半，2050接近零碳排。然而，自2021年以來，紐約州的排放量幾乎紋風不動，而新英格蘭地區發電廠的二氧化碳排放量，過去兩年不減反增。

Northeastern states had planned to build giant wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean to produce clean power, but that has become difficult with the White House's attacks on offshore wind. Federal tax breaks for solar panels and electric cars have been eliminated.

東北部各州原本計劃在大西洋興建大型離岸風電場來生產潔淨電力，但隨著白宮強力打壓離岸風電，這項計劃已變得困難重重。聯邦政府已經取消對太陽能板與電動車的減稅措施。

文／Brad Plumer，譯／國際中心

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