This State Just Banned These Popular Home Utilities.
A number of the most popular fossil fuel utilities will soon be illegal to install in New York following a change by that state’s legislature. This week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the ban starting for most residential homes by 2026.
The state included the ban in its annual budget, marking the first state in the nation to ban such fossil fuel use.
The state is requiring heating and cooking elements to be all-electric in the near future. Structures under seven stories, including most single-family houses, must do so by 2026. Taller buildings must do so by 2029.
As of today, New York relies on natural gas, which represents 46% of the state’s electricity.
New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul defends banning gas stoves: "This is how you transition!" pic.twitter.com/JHHkomMaNZ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 3, 2023
Currently, New York’s electrical grid may not have the capacity to meet the current state plans. This came as the state’s electrical bills increased by 30%, in large part due to state policy.
While the new law includes several exemptions, it will likely deeply affect both homeowners and businesses.
A similar effort to ban natural gas hookups in Berkeley, California was recently blocked in court.
The ban followed considerable debate over banning such devices. Earlier this year, the Biden administration floated the idea of banning new gas stoves as a part of an anti-pollution push.
The recommendation from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sparked outrage. Furthermore, the Department of Energy announced proposed new rules that would ban a majority of existing gas stove models. Several members of Congress, including several Democrats, pushed against the proposed restriction.
A bill amendment by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) opposing the changes passed the House of Representatives handily in March.
The bill passed by a 251 to 181 margin, garnering 29 Democratic votes alongside the Republican majority. Palmer told Fox News that “the plan to ban gas stoves was already in the works even before federal bureaucrats said the quiet part out loud earlier this year.”
He said that Republicans are attempting to “empower Americans to choose what appliances belong in their kitchens, not have it dictated to them by a bureaucrat with a political agenda.”
