Bravo to New York for being first in the nation. Passing the All-Electric Building Act is a tremendous victory, especially given the millions of dollars the fossil fuel industry spent on lobbying and the disinformation campaigns against it. It’s important to say this one more time: New York State is not going to take away your existing gas stove. The law will simply ban gas hookups in new construction once it goes into effect.
But we’re at a crucial point to continue the momentum and go even further. On its own the All-Electric Building Act does not begin to touch the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of the state’s climate law. Nor does it protect consumers from spiraling energy costs. Now Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature must work to pass the NY Home Energy Affordable Transition (HEAT) Act.
The NY HEAT Act will amend these outdated laws to align them with the recommendations of the Climate Action Council, which has embraced heat pumps and thermal energy networks and has called for a strategic downsizing of the gas network. The bill also includes an energy affordability guarantee for low- and moderate-income households.
The NY HEAT Act is a crucial next step. Gov. Hochul and the Legislature must pass the NY HEAT Act this year to keep New York on track toward its climate goals.
Anthony Straka
Wappingers Falls, NY
This opinion piece is in response to a recent story published by Mid-Hudson News on May 7, 2023, “New York is nation’s first to ban new gas hookups”
