Climate activists from the #GasFreeNYC coalition and elected officials demonstrated and held a news conference outside City Hall ahead of the vote on legislation to ban natural gas intake in newly built buildings.
Brittainy Newman / AP
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Brittainy Newman / AP
Climate activists from the #GasFreeNYC coalition and elected officials demonstrated and held a news conference outside City Hall ahead of the vote on legislation to ban natural gas intake in newly built buildings.
Brittainy Newman / AP
In a vote Wednesday, the New York City council approved a ban on nature Air in newly built buildings, joining cities like San Jose and San Francisco that have make similar commitments to reduce emissions.
Moving away from natural gas means a kitchen and the heat pumps will run on electricity to cut carbon emissions. Nearly 40% of the country’s carbon emissions – and more than half New York City’s emissions – come from buildings.
New ban, with 40 votes confirm and seven votes against the measure, applies to buildings of seven floors or less by end of 2023; Taller buildings have an additional four years to comply. There are several exceptions to the bill, including hospitals, laundromats and crematoriums.
“This bill is about prioritizing people over profits and assets,” said council member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, who led the effort to pass it. invoice, indicate at rally outside town hall on Wednesday afternoon. “We’re at a point in our lives where we need to act. We need to make sure we’re protecting and saving our environment.”
The law also establishes two studies that the Mayor’s Office of Long Term and Sustainability Planning will conduct. The first will look at the use of heat pump technology, and the second will study the impact of the new bill on the city’s electricity grid.
Big against from the gas industry against the natural gas bans hasn’t stopped cities around the country from making an effort. At least 42 cities in California took action To limit gas in new buildings, Salt Lake City and Denver also plan to move toward electrification.
In Ithaca, New York, the city even pledged to end the use of natural gas in all buildings – not just the new ones.
But through the ban in New York City, the largest city in the country, marks an important benchmark for other cities trying to cut carbon emissions in the fight against climate change.
Efforts to ban natural gas in new buildings in New York City could also begin legislation to extend the ban to the entire state.
The legislation from state lawmakers Senator Brian Kavanagh and Representative Emily Gallagher, both Democrats, would require any buildings built in the state after 2023 to be completely electricity. If it passes, New York will become the first state to ban natural gas in new buildings at the statewide level.
