Today, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio signed a building “gas-ban” into law. Starting two years from now, the legislation will begin to phase out on-site fossil-fuel use in new construction. The result, the measure’s advocates say, will be a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. By 2040, it will allow the city to avoid emitting 2.1 million tons of carbon, or the equivalent of the annual emissions of 450,000 cars, according to one analysis.
The law goes into effect for structures shorter than seven stories in January 2024, and for those that are taller in July 2027. It means that new buildings will rely on technologies like induction stovetops for cooking and heat pumps for heating, cooling, and hot water, rather than their gas- or oil-burning counterparts. It makes New York the latest city to join a quickly growing list of cities and towns with electrification requirements. Berkeley, California, was the first to act, prohibiting gas connections to new small and midsize residential buildings in July 2019. Since then, 66 jurisdictions in the U.S.—54 in California alone—have instituted regulations that restrict or discourage gas infrastructure.
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