In a landmark moment for the effort to combat climate change, the New York City Council voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to ban gas hookups in new buildings.
In the absence of gas for heating, hot water and cooking, those services will be provided by electric stoves and heaters. Although New York City’s electricity generation portfolio is not 100 percent clean, switching from burning gas on-site to using electricity has a lower emissions output.
“It’s a historic step forward in our efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,”The bill’s supporters also characterized it as a victory for environmental justice, because it will reduce local air pollution, which is especially prevalent in lower-income and Black and Latino neighborhoods.
Although the bill ultimately passed by a 40-7 vote, its passage marked the culmination of weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations over the details. The real estate industry, though not wholly opposed, successfully advocated for delays in implementation: The law will take effect in December 2023 for buildings of six stories or less and in 2027 for taller buildings.
While environmentalists hope other cities will follow in New York City’s footsteps, the politics of transitioning away from fossil fuels are much more favorable in New York, where Democrats currently hold a supermajority on the city council and in both chambers of the state Legislature. In 20 states, Republican-dominated state legislatures haveGlobal temperatures are on the rise and have been for decades. Step inside the data and see the magnitude of climate change.