But since 2022, the NY HEAT Act has failed to become law. Earlier this month, sponsors of the bill tried to pass a watered-down version. Anticipating it wouldn’t get the votes either, legislators focused instead on passing only the most popular and easy-to-implement measure: ending the 100-foot rule, said Laura Shindell, New York state director for the advocacy group Food and Water Watch.
Now that lawmakers have approved the reform, Shindell said she’s hopeful that Gov. Hochul (D) will sign the bill. The governor has included the measure and other major NY HEAT Act provisions in her previous proposed budgets.
The bill complements New York’s first-in-the-nation requirement that, starting next year, most new buildings with seven stories or fewer be all-electric. As of 2029, new buildings over seven stories need to be all-electric. Meanwhile, with the 100-foot rule repealed, existing building owners would no longer receive subsidies when they switch from fuel oil or propane to gas.
If the bill becomes law, New York would join California, Colorado, and most recently Maryland, in eliminating subsidies for gas line extensions statewide. Encouraging gas use is inconsistent with Maryland’s 2022 Climate Solutions Now Act, state regulators wrote in their order earlier this month. “A customer that prefers to use natural gas should, therefore, be expected to pay the actual cost of obtaining that service without artificial incentives to do so.”
In New York, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (R) and other bill opponents decried the legislation, saying it will make gas unaffordable and prevent expansion of the gas system. Supporters of the repeal said the criticisms are distorted.
“The conversations we heard on the floor of the People’s House from the other side of the aisle were misleading and riddled with fearmongering,” Speaker Heastie said. “This bill doesn’t take away the ability to connect to gas, or force anyone to stop using gas in their homes.”
For individuals weighing whether to get a gas hookup, the repeal communicates the actual cost of that decision, Scarr noted — and could cause them to discover that gas isn’t the best route.
“It depends on the jurisdiction and … the local cost of gas and electricity, but in many places, the economics of going all electric are quite favorable,” Scarr said. That’s in part thanks to uber-efficient heat pumps, he added. For households on delivered fuels, these heater/air conditioners can reduce energy bills by an average of $840 per year, according to electrification nonprofit Rewiring America. Getting off gas can save families an average of $60 per year.
Scrapping the 100-foot rule is long overdue, but New York will need to go much further, Richard Schrader, director of New York government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement. “To fully align New York’s gas utility system with its climate and affordability goals, lawmakers must pass the broader reforms in the NY HEAT Act.”
