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New York City is on the path to a ban on all gas-fueled appliances in new buildings, though the final bill has been adapted to meet some of the real estate industry’s demands.
The New York City Council on Wednesday approved the bill that would ban the use of gas-powered stoves, space heaters and water boilers in all new buildings, known as Int. 2317, The New York Times reports. The law would take effect in December 2023 for buildings under seven stories. Developers of taller buildings won’t need to adhere to the rules until 2027, after the Real Estate Board of New York successfully lobbied for a delay on larger projects.
However, the bill has not bent to all of REBNY’s demands. Last month, REBNY testified at the council's Committee on Environmental Protection that, while emission reduction in buildings is essential to mitigating the effects of climate change, the bill’s current timeline and breadth are not attainable.
The mayor's director of climate and sustainability, Ben Furnas, told the Times that Mayor Bill de Blasio would sign the bill into law “enthusiastically."
Instead, REBNY suggested that 2025 should be the year that buildings three stories and shorter must stop using the appliances. For building up to 10 stories REBNY said 2027 should be the starting date, and 2030 for all buildings taller than 10 stories. In a statement Wednesday, REBNY President James Whelan said the group supports reducing greenhouse emissions, but “in a way that ensures that New Yorkers have reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity to heat, cool and power their homes and businesses.”
The aim of the new legislation is to help the city hit its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050, though National Grid sided with REBNY in saying the bill was asking too much, too soon. However, the Urban Green Council said with the bill the city is leading the way toward low-carbon buildings.
“Furnaces, boilers and hot water heaters cause more carbon emissions in NYC than all uses of electricity combined,” Urban Green Council CEO John Mandyck said in a statement. “With this bill, we’re poised to become the largest city in the world to phase fossil fuels out of new construction and stop investing in additional gas infrastructure.”
UPDATE, DEC. 15, 5:15 P.M. ET: This story was updated after the city council's vote to pass the bill banning gas appliances in new buildings.
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