New York has become the first state in the US to pass a law that bans the use of fossil fuels in most new buildings.
The budget bill that included this new ban was approved by lawmakers last night.
That ban includes gas stoves and furnaces, and the new law starts in 2026 for new buildings of seven stories or less. The ban for larger buildings starts in 2029.
There are some exemptions, such as for emergency backup power, restaurants, and hospitals. However, cities and counties will not be able to override the ban. In 2021, New York City became the largest city in the US to ban gas in new buildings.
New construction will have to use such emissions-free options as induction and electric stoves and heat pumps for new buildings. The new law does not affect existing buildings – no one is getting their gas stoves taken away.
This legislation positions New York as a leader among states working to reduce emissions from buildings. In November, Washington State passed a law that requires the installation of heat pumps in most buildings from July of this year.
Why is this something to be celebrated? Because fossil fuels are bad for the planet. Burning natural gas produces carbon dioxide – the most prevalent greenhouse gas. We need to remove them from buildings in order to meet the Paris Agreement goal of net zero by 2050.
Top comment by CMG30
Everyone talks about heat pumps, but the reality is that they're not even necessary assuming the proper building standards are included in this move. As long as building codes are brought up much closer to the passive standard, resistive heating is really all that's necessary. Yes, it's not nearly as efficient as a modern heat pump, but the amount of additional heat energy that a passive structure actually needs is so small that the lower running costs of the heat pump cannot overcome the initial install cost.
Until the cost on heat pumps comes down, I actually view them as best suited to retrofit all the existing, poorly built structures out there. The ones that need a tremendous amount of heat input to counter that flood of outflowing energy.
I know that talking about a modern, high efficiency building envelope is not as sexy as the new wonder gizmo, but it truly is amazing what good insulation can do.
Fossil fuels are also bad for people’s health. For example, a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology from 2013 found that children living in homes with gas stoves are over 40% more likely to have asthma due to the pollution created by burning gas.
Read more: Heat pumps are now mandatory in new homes in Washington State
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