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On Tuesday night, New York state became the first to ban natural gas in new construction.
The state budget, which passed earlier this week, over a month late, will require all-electric heating and cooking in new buildings shorter than seven stories by 2026—and in 2029 for taller buildings.
Official quote from Sen. Brian Kavanagh today on NY’s gas ban in new buildings: “This is the best, we’re awesome” pic.twitter.com/n45TpBPp9Q
— Colin Kinniburgh (@colinreads) May 5, 2023
With 40,000 new buildings built each year in New York, the move is being widely celebrated by East Coast climate advocates who see this as a major step to reaching New York state’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in both New York City and New York state, where they are responsible for one-third of emissions collectively.
As I reported in February, New York City passed a bill in December 2021 to phase out fossil fuels in new construction statewide starting in 2024, giving the rest of the state a preview of the complex battles involved in the process.
The new statewide law will not affect current buildings with natural gas appliances. The NY HEAT Act—which looked to retrofit existing buildings and put a price cap of 6 percent of income on electricity bills for low- and middle-income families—did not make it into the budget. Advocates hope there’s still a chance to pass it in this upcoming legislative session.
