New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes banning natural gas in all new buildings
Breanne Deppisch
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Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced a proposal Tuesday that would make New York the first state to ban natural gas heaters and appliances in new buildings, a new front in the battle over the use of the fossil fuel and its link to certain air pollutants.
Hochul used her annual “State of the State” address to call for a ban on fossil fuels in new buildings beginning in 2025. The ban would first apply to smaller, newly constructed buildings and then to larger buildings constructed by or after 2028.
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From 2030 on, the plan calls for a complete ban on the sale of any new natural gas heating systems to buildings.
“Buildings are the largest source of emissions in our state, accounting for a third of our greenhouse gas output,” Hochul said.
Her plan would also assign letter grades to larger state buildings based on their energy use to help property managers “make informed choices” to cut electricity bills and emissions.
News of the effort comes as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is also weighing new regulations on natural gas stoves in the United States due to research showing a link between air pollutants and the popular household appliances.
Gas stoves, which are used in roughly 40% of U.S. homes and are favored by many cooks, have been found to emit air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other particulate matter at levels deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization.
Recent studies have shown the appliances can leak methane, a harmful planet-warming gas, even when turned off.
Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said earlier this week that his agency plans to take action to address the pollutants, which have been linked to asthma and other respiratory problems.
“Any option is on the table,” he told Bloomberg, describing the pollutants as a “hidden hazard.”
“Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” he said.
House Republicans, newly in the majority, have vowed to take action to fight any new federal regulations seeking to ban the use of natural gas stoves.
In October, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a request for information seeking public data on hazards associated with natural gas stoves and input for proposed solutions.
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In addition to the public information request, a spokesperson for the agency told the Washington Examiner that the commission has started to work with voluntary standards organizations to examine emissions from gas stoves and address hazards caused by the appliances.
To date, it has not proposed any new regulations.