By News Room
New York could become the first state to ban the use of natural gas in stoves and ovens as soon as 2025.
State Governor Kathy Hokul announced the tentative agreement in her 2024 budget speech, which she delivered in the state capital, Albany. According to her, the Imperial State (as New York is called in America) “will be the first in the country to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in new homes and buildings.”
Under the proposed agreement, gas stoves and heaters will be banned in small buildings (up to seven floors) in 2025, and in large buildings in 2028. The ban will not apply to buildings that have already been constructed.
The proposed proposal has been a priority for environmental organizations, who see it as an important step in reducing New York’s reliance on fossil fuels. However, this project encountered opposition from representatives of the oil and gas industry. Some consumers were also skeptical.
Hokul said the deal is “conceptual” in nature and its general features still need to be “defined” before a final vote.
The state is taking inspiration from New York City and local governments across the country, which have required new homes and businesses to run on electricity. According to the Energy Information Administration, New York State was the sixth largest consumer of gas in the nation in 2020.
However, the idea of a ban on the use of gas in new buildings has drawn condemnation from Republicans, who see it as excessive government interference in the lives of citizens.
The proposal’s appearance in the budget message has been criticized by Hokul’s opponents, including former congressman Lee Zeldin, whom she defeated by a narrow margin in last year’s election.
“Enthusiastic Democrats leveling New York to the ground gearing up to ban gas water heaters in new buildings,” Zeldin tweeted. “Kathy Hokul and her gang are derailing what was once the greatest state faster and faster.”
A Stanford University study published last year found that gas stoves emit as much air pollution as the emissions from half a million gas-powered cars. Another study found that the use of indoor gas stoves was associated with an increased risk of asthma in children.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), natural gas in homes and businesses accounts for approximately 13% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
Despite these studies, at least 20 states have banned such restrictions, according to S&P Global.
Read the Ukraine War News Latest Today on The Eastern Herald.
Source: New York could become the first state to ban gas stoves
