
Originally published in The Buffalo News on February 16, 2023. Written by Chris Bragg.
ALBANY – Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan prohibiting the sale of gas and oil-fuel-powered heating equipment in existing buildings is facing resistance in the State Legislature, according to one-house budget resolutions released by Democrats that control the State Assembly and Senate.
At issue is not the goal but the details of how much such a plan would cost homeowners, according to one Democratic senator.
In her budget proposal released in February, Hochul proposed prohibiting the sale of any new fossil fuel-powered heating equipment – such as oil and gas furnaces – by no later than 2030 for smaller buildings, and no later than 2035 for larger structures.
But in their own budget plans this week, both the State Senate and Assembly omitted that proposal, signaling their opposition as budget negotiations head toward an April 1 deadline.
“I believe the greatest barrier is not having anything close to price certainty on the transition to geothermal,” Ryan said. “We need to know what it’s going to cost and know how it’s going be paid for.”
In Erie County, there are about 245,000 single-family homes, and most are heated through natural gas, Ryan said. Many homeowners are concerned about the transition to electric heat; the upfront cost of retrofitting to a noncombustion source of heat can be tens-of-thousands of dollars.
Less than three months later, the deadly blizzard is informing a fight over the speed and degree of New York’s transition from fossil fuels, which currently warm more than 80% of New York homes.
Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, spoke before the State Senate Energy Committee on Thursday morning. NYSERDA is a Hochul administration agency, and she said saddling homeowners with major bills associated with retrofitting homes is “certainly not our intention.”
Gas stoves, including replacements, would be allowed indefinitely in current buildings, but Hochul is proposing a ban on gas stoves in new construction.
Similarly, the Senate’s plan prohibits infrastructure, building systems, or equipment for the combustion of fossil fuels in new construction by the end of 2024 for smaller buildings and mid-2028 for larger ones.
Ryan said the Senate’s plan also includes an exemption for fossil fuel-powered backup energy systems in new buildings, in recognition of the importance of backup generators in places like Western New York.
State Sen. George Borrello referenced Buffalo’s major blizzard in December, arguing that, “If Buffalo had all-electric buildings, those 47 lives lost would be more like 4,700 because the electricity went out for days, and people survived because of natural gas-powered generators, and even heating their homes with their stoves and hot water.”
Borrello called the building electrification proposal “a unique combination of arrogance and ignorance.”