New York lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday banning natural gas stoves in new buildings. The first-of-its-kind law comes nearly two months after the Biden administration proposed regulations that would establish annual energy consumption limits for stovetops.
The New York legislature passed a $229 billion budget that includes banning natural gas hookups and other fossil fuels in most new buildings. All new buildings will be required to use all-electric heating and cooking, except hospitals, critical infrastructure and commercial food establishments.
“Buildings where the local grid is not capable of handling the load” are also exempt.
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, praised the move as critical to cutting emissions by 40 percent by 2030.
“Changing the ways we make and use energy to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels will help ensure a healthier environment for us and our children,” Heastie said. “The provisions in this budget will help us do that and meet the ambitious climate goals we set in the CLCPA [Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act].”
Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed support for the measure.
“I want to be very clear. I know people love to misinterpret this, but people with existing gas stoves, you’re welcome to keep them,” Hochul said. “This is where our nation has to go eventually. But I want to make sure that it’s not a bumpy road to the transition.”
Earlier this year, a member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggested to Bloomberg that gas stoves could be banned. The commissioner, Richard Trumka Jr., called gas stoves a “hidden hazard” over their pollution of indoor air.
Some lawmakers publicly came to the defense of gas stoves, prompting a White House spokesman to clarify that President Joe Biden doesn’t support banning them. The chairman of the CPSC, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, said the commission is researching gas stove emissions and “actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards.”
