Story at a glance
- New York City lawmakers passed legislation banning natural gas hookups in new buildings in favor of electricity or other more environmentally friendly sources for heating, hot water and cooking.
- The law will take effect in December 2023 for buildings less than seven stories and in 2027 for taller buildings.
- The rule does not apply to hospitals, commercial kitchens and laundromats, and residents who currently utilize natural gas in their homes will not be affected.
The New York City Council on Wednesday voted in favor of legislation prohibiting the use of gas-powered stoves, space heaters and water boilers in new buildings as part of the city’s broader effort to transition away from fossil fuels, according to CNBC.
The measure bans gas hookups in new buildings, requiring most construction projects to forgo natural gas in favor of electricity or other more environmentally friendly sources for heating, hot water and cooking.
The law will take effect in December 2023 for buildings less than seven stories and in 2027 for taller buildings.
The rule does not apply to hospitals, commercial kitchens and laundromats, and residents who currently utilize natural gas in their homes will not be impacted.
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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is expected to sign the bill, which will make the city the largest in the U.S. to implement such a requirement.
“If the largest city in America can take this critical step to ban gas use, any city can do the same,” de Blasio said in a statement, according to CNBC. “This is how to fight back against climate change on the local level and guarantee a green city for generations to come.”
While new buildings under the rule would use electricity partly generated from fossil fuels, the move is still expected to cut millions of tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over time.
About 2.1 million tons of carbon emissions would be saved by 2040, equivalent to the annual emissions of 450,000 cars, according to the think tank RMI.
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