ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — State lawmakers have now passed the $229 billion budget for next year which includes a plan to transition all new buildings in the state from natural gas to electric power.
This is a plan we've been keeping an eye onsince Governor Hochul first unveiled it as part of her proposed budget back in January. At that time the plan called for all homes and buildings to replace fossil fuel-powered units with zero-emission systems by 2030.
However, over the last four months that plan has been changed to only include new builds.
The All-Electric Building Act is about decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in new construction projects by phasing out the construction of new buildings with fossil fuel hookups.
The cutoff for fossil fuels in new builds seven stories or less is Dec. 31, 2023, and for buildings taller than seven stories it is July 1, 2027.
"New York State is working to help ensure that emissions are reduced greatly from natural gas appliances whether it a natural gas stove, furnace or boiler," H-VAC Project Manager at T-Mark Plumbing and Cooling, Ian Donnelly said.
While Donnelly said the industry is adapting quickly, you don't have to worry about changing over right away.
"So for most people, not too much is going to change," Earth Justice New York Policy Advocate, Liz Moran said. "We are only talking about new construction in the policy that was passed."
Moran said polling conducted this past fall showed that 66% of New Yorkers support a mandate of all-electric new construction.
"And it makes sense," Moran said. "This is a common sense and simple step for the state to take to make sure that we aren't locking New Yorkers into continued reliance upon fossil fuels."
With heat pumps becoming the way of the future for heat, A/C, and water heating, Donnelly said there are several ways to install them in your home.
"Whether it's a traditional duct system you can do that with heat pump technology with essentially an air handler," Donnelly said. "You can also install what they call ductless mini-split systems. They sit up on the wall or they sit a little bit lower. It's considered zoned cooling and heating using heat pump technology."
Donnelly said there are homes capable of making the transition to heat pumps but for a lot of the older homes in our area, it is not safe to assume they can without asking an expert.
"A lot of housing still have fuses in them," Donnelly said. "A lot of houses in this area still have knob and tube wiring. In that case, those houses are not ready for electrification. So, we need to make sure that we enhance the electrical connection at that home and the electrical panel. Make sure that it's safe, make sure that it can accommodate this new heat pump technology, and then go from there."
Since every home and build are different, Donnelly said it's hard to say how much a new build with 100% electrical would cost. However, as technological advances continue to happen more answers will become clear.
"Sometimes these transitions take a while to get used to but ultimately become very popular," Moran said.
