New York State became the first state in the nation on Tuesday to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings, mandating a shift to renewable energy and electricity as the state’s power grid runs short of capacity.
The Washington Post reported:
New York has become the first state in the nation to pass a law banning natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings, a move that could inspire other states and further erode the residential future of the gas industry.
The law effectively requires all-electric heating and cooking in new buildings shorter than seven stories by 2026, and in 2029 for taller buildings. And although it allows exemptions for manufacturing facilities, restaurants, hospitals and even carwashes, the measure does not do what some climate activists had feared: give cities and counties license to override the ban.
