Natural Gas Ban Accepted by All NY Legislative Budgets

By Matis Glenn

Budgets proposed by New York’s legislative bodies and the governor have one thing in common – a ban on gas hookups in new buildings.

While Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic lawmakers differ on some details, the budgets they proposed all include a law that would prohibit the use of natural gas in new residential and commercial buildings. The Assembly was the last legislative body to release its budget, which it published last Thursday.

If passed, the new law would make New York the first state in the nation to adopt such a policy; however individual cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles – and New York City in 2021 – have passed similar legislation.

NYC will start requiring new buildings to not have gas hookups in 2024 for buildings less than seven stories, and in 2027 for taller projects.

The new state budget, which would be $227 billion under Hochul’s proposal, will be finalized this month.

Hochul wants to see the regulations begin in 2026, while Senate and Assembly Democrats are pushing for 2025.

Another difference is that the Senate wants the ban on natural gas to apply only to buildings seven stories and less, while Hochul wants to eliminate them in buildings as short as three floors.

Supporters of the proposal say it will help alleviate climate change and improve public health, while opponents say it will drastically raise the price of electricity and could disrupt the utilities industry.

In January, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that it would take action to regulate gas stoves, in light of evidence that chemicals emitted from the appliances contribute to health conditions, including childhood asthma.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt voiced his opposition to the bill.

“This is not going to do anything to make peoples’ utilities bills less; it’s also not going to do anything to make energy more reliable,” he told the New York Post.

“It is very feasible all over the state to build efficient, highly livable homes and businesses that are all electric,” Democratic State Sen. Brian Kavanagh told NY1.

Most New Yorkers, however, are not supportive of the law, according to a Siena College poll taken last month. Only 39% support the ban, and 53% oppose it.

Existing structures would be allowed to continue to operate as before; but Kavanagh acknowledged that there will be issues down the road when gas-powered appliances are set to be phased out altogether.

“The trickier questions are going to have to come when we have to switch our boilers and stoves and other things, but there is no mandate in this bill about any existing structure,” he said.