New York became the first state in the country to ban gas connections in new buildings. Department of the state recently passed, long overdue 2024 Balancing It includes a policy known as the All Electrical Buildings Act. Under the law, signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, New York is moving toward a more climate-friendly future.
The legislation follows increased restrictions on gas appliances nationwide But it is historical in its scale and scope. It can reverberate far beyond New York. “This is the first time a state legislature has implemented a statewide electrification trial for buildings,” Amy Turner, an attorney and legal researcher at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, said on a phone call with Gizmodo. “They’ve been through the political process to make that happen, and I think it really makes a strong case for building electrification as a politically viable approach to decarbonization.”
Starting in 2026, new buildings less than seven stories tall in New York will not be allowed to include fossil fuel lines for gas-fired appliances—including stoves, furnaces, or water heaters. From 2029, the same policy will apply to large buildings. Instead, most new construction projects must be all-electric. The legislation includes some significant exceptions for facilities such as commercial kitchens, factories, and Water treatment plants, and for buildings such as hospitals and laboratories that require backup generators. but in general, They ban gas hookups statewide and require all heating and cooking to be electrified. All residential buildings are subject to the law.
This news comes just two weeks after the first news in the US Gas ban It was overturned in federal court. Three judges in the ninth The US Central Court of Appeals has determined that the 2019 municipal policy of Berkeley, California banning gas lines in new buildings, violates federal law. But for a number of reasons, Turner told Gizmodo, New York law is not affected by this ruling and is isolated from other legal challenges. For now, New York’s gas embargo is likely to continue.
Why ban gas?
Methane, a fossil fuel often referred to as natural gas, is the fuel for combustion stoves, water boilers, and furnaces nationwide. About 61% of American households depend on some type of gas appliance, according to the 2020 data From the Federal Energy Information Administration. In New York, that percentage is about 52%.
All of this gaseous combustion has consequences for the climate. More than 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from commercial and residential burning of fossil fuels for heating and cooking, according to 2021 EPA data. This does not include all environmental surcharges Unaccounted forof the methane leakage from these devices. It’s a major part of greenhouse gases” production, Turner said. “This requirement will help reduce those greenhouse emissions.”
tHere are some gains to Indoor gas phasing out. Gas appliances, especially stoves, have proven time and time again to be dangerous. Emissions and burning by-products from gas stoves Increased risk of cancercontribute to rates of childhood asthmaand can even Contribute to cognitive decline Along with a whole host of other health problems. In addition to gdevices and lines can explode. “There are really significant and positive health and safety benefits associated with getting natural gas out of our homes and buildings,” Turner told Gizmodo.
Where else aGas restrictions re-occurring?
New York legislation can provide a roadmap for other states. At the same time, it is It follows many other venues and regulations.
California and Washington state It has its own policies in place that aim to limit gas lines in new construction. However, the California regulation is not a direct ban on fossil fuel regulations. Instead, the Golden State shifted its energy efficiency standards to Promotion of electrical appliances on gas In 2021. In Washington, the state executive Electric heat pumps across a wide range of future buildings through the Building Code Council in 2022. This The change does not apply to stoves, and because it has not been achieved through the legislature, Washington’s policy is likely to be more vulnerable to legal challenges – which already faced.
Elsewhere, many cities have their own, smaller-scale policies for electrifying buildings. In addition to the recently rescinded Berkeley gas ban, these policies include the New York CityAnd San Franciscoand Seattle and dozens of others municipalities at the national level.
Is ban in New York safe now?
It would be easy to hear the news about a federal court overturning Berkeley’s ban and assume that New York’s new law is doomed. But Turner told Gizmodo that would be a mistake.
First, the driving force behind Berkeley’s policy drop was the restaurant industry lobby, A.JAbbreviation II New York law does not apply to commercial kitchens. Restaurants can keep their precious blue flames at bay, for now. Moreover, the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit Court is limited to nine western states. Even if the mail is stretchedMoving forward, the legal mechanism behind the New York legislation differs from the Berkeley mechanism, So any precedent from the city of California will not apply.
Although restrictions on gas appliances have some big and money opponents (eg Fossil fuel industry), Turner said she was not aware of any groups working on legal challenges to the new New York law.
There has been a lot of hype in recent months surrounding it Rumors about federal gas stove restrictions Through the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Despite the outright ban from the CPSC It was never on the tableand conservative lawmakers like Ted Cruz (plus Joe Manchin) It caused some commotion in response. Cruz and Manchin even went further Try banning gas stoves.
However, Turner said she believes most of this pressure is exaggerated and manipulated. Although some care a lot about their cooktops, most people focus more on “I made it clear whether it was warm enough and whether it was comfortable.” And the electrical appliances are more than enough to provide warmth and comfort. In addition, for people who are so attached to their combustion systems, no one “talks about ripping gas stoves out of people’s homes or forbidding them to use them.” Not at all,” Turner added. If you currently have a gas stove in your home, nothing changes. In fact, you can go out and buy a new one whenever you want. But going forward, future development in New York will have to consider what’s best for people and the climate.