The New York City Council recently voted to pass legislation banning the use of natural gas in most new construction, as a way to reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
Fortunately, for now, laundromats have been exempted from this measure, which is expected to go into effect at the end of 2023 for some buildings under seven stories, and in 2027 for taller structures. Hospitals and commercial kitchens also are exempt from this natural gas ban.
Under the law, construction projects submitted for approval after 2027 must use sources like electricity for stoves, space heaters and water boilers, rather than gas or oil.
The ban likely will push forward a New York state requirement to obtain 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind and water power by 2030, and achieve a net-zero emissions electric sector by 2040.
The bill is expected to cut about 2.1 million tons of carbon emissions by 2040 – equivalent to the annual emissions of 450,000 cars – and save consumers several hundred million dollars in new gas connections, according to a study by the think tank RMI.
Similar policies have been debated across the country. A few dozen cities – including San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose in California; Cambridge, Mass.; and Seattle – have moved to ban natural gas hookups in some new buildings as a way to combat climate change.
However, states like Texas and Arizona have barred cities from implementing such changes, citing that consumers have the right to choose their energy sources.
