
The City Council on Wednesday passed a bill making New York the largest city in the United States to effectively ban the use of gas in new buildings and to turn to electricity for power, The City reports.
The New York bill, which establishes a threshold for how much carbon a building can emit, limiting the use of gas, could set an example for the rest of the country, environmental advocates said.
“To think that every new iconic skyscraper on the New York City skyline will soon be built without any fossil fuel use — I think it’s a game-changing moment for the climate movement,” said Jenna Tatum, director of the Building Electrification Institute.
Mayor Bill Blasio is expected to sign the bill or let it lapse into law.
Here’s what you need to know:
What’s the point of prohibiting gas in new buildings?
Buildings are responsible for about 70% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, which warm the planet and threaten health.
“Furnaces, boilers and hot water heaters emit more carbon in New York City than all uses of electricity combined today, so electrifying those systems becomes our biggest way to fight climate change,” said John Mandyck, CEO of the Urban Green Council.
This measure has the potential to save about 2.1 million tons of carbon emissions by 2040, according to an estimate by the Rocky Mountain Institute. That’s equal to taking nearly half a million cars off the road.
“New Yorkers will look back years from now and say that it had a major positive impact on public health,” said LJ Portis, environmental policy and advocacy coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
I’m planning to move to a newly built place soon. Does this mean my building won’t have gas?
Nope — the ban doesn’t take effect right away. The ban would apply to new buildings with fewer than seven stories by 2024. That extends to July 2027 for buildings with seven or more stories.
Any gut renovation that requires a new building permit would also be subject to the law. Affordable housing would be subject to the ban in 2026 and 2028, depending on whether they’re below or above seven stories. Read more at The City.
{Matzav.com}
So, if after I finish my second helping of cholent, I pass some gas right there in my dinning room, will I get in trouble (besides from my wife, as always) from the Mayor?
The NY City Council keeps outdoing themselves in how corrupt they are. Styrofoam cups, plastic bags, plastic straws, etc…
I no nothing. so I want to hear from someone knowledgeable in this area if this can really work or it be another pain in the neck for homeowners. I’m just thinking about Texas last winter when their electric grid went down.
Somebody tell the City Council that they and their soon-gone Mayor friend can’t violate our rights. no matter how much they’d love to take them all away.
Idiotic leftists strike again!
Con Ed every summer when it gets hot asks everyone to conserve electricity to prevent blackouts. If everything runs on gas including all hot water heaters and stoves and ovens, imagine the consequences!
And in Winter of all heating is done with electricity we will also have shortages.