NYC Gazette

New buildings in New York City will no longer be allowed to use natural gas following a New York City Council vote on Dec. 16. While smaller cities in the United States have tried policies like this, New York City is the largest and first major city to institute such a policy.

"The bill to ban the use of gas in new buildings will (help) us to transition to a greener future and (reach) carbon neutrality by the year 2050," said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, as reported by Reuters. "We are in a climate crisis and must take all necessary steps to fight climate change and protect our city."

The goal is to shift to cleaner sources of energy to force new buildings to rely on electricity for heat and cooking. According to Reuters, Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED.N), which supplies power and gas in New York City, said a clear path toward electrifying new buildings is necessary to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

"Reducing New York’s reliance on natural gas will gradually increase demand for electricity, but our electric grid is more robust than it’s ever been, and we will be ready for a renewable-powered future,” Consolidated Edison told Reuters.

Though these types of policies have been popular on the West Coast, where temperate weather lends itself more to less natural gas usage, New York City will be a true test for cities in colder climates. 

Opponents of this policy have cited concerns over price increases, dissuasion of new development, and increased strain on the grid. 

"While we appreciate that the efficient electrification of buildings is an important component of realizing these goals, these policies must be implemented in a way that ensure that New Yorkers have reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity to heat, cool and power their homes and businesses," James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York said in a statement to E&E News.

Others say the city could lead the way toward change for the country.

“We’re really setting the pace here, saying that if it can be done in New York City, it can really be done anywhere,” Ben Furnas, the city’s sustainability chief, told E&E News. “We’re big, we’re dense, we’re complicated, we have all four seasons. We’re putting a marker down, saying the next generation of buildings is going to be electric. We want to be a model for the world.”

San Jose, Calif., with 1 million residents, had been the largest city to enact such a policy before New York City, with about 8.8 million residents, made this official on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

This vote and new regulation will have no effect on existing buildings, the report states. New buildings below seven stories have until 2023 to comply, while taller buildings have until 2027.