New York State has passed a first-of-its-kind law banning natural gas and all fossil fuels in new buildings. Under the All-Electric Buildings Act, all buildings under seven stories will be prohibited from using fossil fuels, including new natural gas hook-ups, by 2026, while larger buildings have until 2029, according to Canary Media.
The new law doesn’t apply to existing buildings, or to retrofits to existing buildings.
A recent law in Berkeley, California was recently struck down in federal court, but because the All-Electric Buildings Act is a state law, it’ll be tougher to overturn than the Berkeley local ordinance. The New York law, however, is not a building code, like similar fossil fuel bans in states like California and Washington State. New York is the first state to pass building electrification as a law. New York City had already passed a similar natural gas and fossil fuel ban in 2021.
According to CNBC, the new law will prevent 6.1 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2040. New York has committed to achieving 70 percent of its electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
