Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced late Thursday last week that the state is making plans to ensure buildings do not exude emissions from 2026. The New York governor confirmed this objective as they plan to make New York a major player in developing renewables. It has already been added to the budget, and a massive amount of funds budgeted for it would help New York create new technologies in substitution for the banned natural gas stoves.
Starting in 2026, the New York governor says it will ban fossil fuel combustion in most new buildings under seven stories. Then from 2029, larger buildings would be covered in the ban. However, this proposed plan when implemented would see new buildings would come without any plan for emissions. The recent New York gas stove ban would be the first in the United States through legislative measures. However, California and Washington have done so through building codes, but it has not been integrated into the law.
While discussing the new development, the New York governor said, "We’re going to be the first state in the nation to advance zero-emissions new homes and buildings." New York has many big ambitions after the ban on gas stoves. The state aims to slash emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050. It is part of their plan hatched through expert consultations. The state has already approved it, and it's going into the works. Some establishments are exempted from the new rule. Commercial kitchens, emergency generators, and hospitals may still use gas stoves under strict regulations.
Key Details Not Complete
Despite the plan to ban gas stoves, the key details that would make it a law are still lacking. Governor Hochul says she would like to see the deal include consumer rebates as part of a cap-and-trade initiative for emissions. "What we’re doing is setting up a mechanism to be able to allow for rebates that we generate with a cap and invest program. We think that is the important first step, because we couldn’t do it under existing law," the New York governor said.
But this is just speculation from the governor as no agreement has been reached yet on the law. One concern about the new plan is how the state would cope with limited electricity. Since there would be no emissions, the state would have to rely on renewable energy.
Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earth justice, spoke about the plan saying the state should ensure no loopholes. "As the governor and legislative leadership continue to hammer out the details, they need to ensure that this is as strong as possible and there aren’t any loopholes. The technology is ready, and we absolutely have to be doing this to meet our climate law mandates," she added.
Climate advocates are already imploring the state and legislature to bring the date for implementing this new plan closer. According to them, there is no need to implement the plan from 2026. This also applies to commercial buildings. Advocates are calling on the government to shift the implementation date back from 2029.