Governor Kathy Hochul seemingly backtraced in recent comments on the All-electric House Green New Deal initiative perhaps bending to both reality and the unpopularity and lack of reliability of this expensive initiative.
Different political winds are blowing after the November election and they are not blowing in the direction of laws and regulations creating higher costs for homeowners. Most especially not at a time when housing costs in New York are through the roof and are one of the main reasons New Yorkers give for leaving the state.
New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerry Kassar, said, “Once again Governor Hochul has shown that little thought goes into her far-fetched proposals. Instead of dooming New Yorkers to pie-in-the-sky rhetoric that causes distress and adding to the flight of New Yorkers to other states, Governor Hochul should ground herself in policies that the state citizens can get behind.“
New York enacted the All-electric Building Act that will go into effect in 2026. The law prohibits the installation of fossil fuel equipment and building systems in new buildings and homes with some exceptions. The prohibition starts in 2026 for new buildings up to 7 stories tall. In 2029, new buildings of all sizes—aside from the exemptions for certain uses listed in the bill—must be built without fossil fuel equipment.
Hochul made statements recently indicating she is hearing the push back from homebuilders and potential homeowners about the difficulty in meeting the law’s implementation deadlines and the added costs.
"We have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to transition to clean renewable energy," Hochul said. "But I also know the pandemic disrupted so much in the supply chain and with manufacturers, whether it's home heating pumps or it's electric vehicles, so I need to be working closely with the legislature and say, 'We are not walking back from our aspirations and our goals, but I have to do it in a way that makes sense.' "
“I’m sure the taxpayers of New York are glad that the governor is finally seeing the light on the disastrous plans to cripple the state’s energy future,” said Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. “The current plan to go all-electric is not feasible, and the experts concluded that it will result in blackouts and put New York at a huge economic disadvantage. The governor would be well advised to consider other energy sources such as the Saudi Arabia-sized supply of clean natural gas right under our feet. The fact that the Progressive Democrats won’t let us touch this vast resource will prove to be the biggest economic mistake of the century.”
There are plenty of exemptions written into the law, but no exemption for you – the potential builder and owner of a new home for your family. This law means no new house can have a gas stove, hot water tank, furnace, dryer, or any other gas or fossil fuels appliance.
Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R,C,I-Smithtown) said, “I don't disagree the pandemic disrupted many industries and supply chains But, I think just as serious an issue is that you can’t force technology before it has matured right. The governor is realizing the problem and I don't think the left side of the legislature understands the reality of the situation.”
When asked about how a delay in the implementation of this law can happen Fitzpatrick said, “I think Governor Hochul needs to pick her fights. But she's going to need to have one or two fights with this legislature to say ‘no we're going to go in a different direction’”.
Fitzpatrick said, “Let the market determine the movement toward cleaner energy. You can't do it at the expense of your economy - that's just economic suicide. The Democrats are committed to this climate agenda and we already have people leaving the state for lower taxes and better economics. If they're not careful that trend will accelerate and we're only going to be in a deeper hole because we are because of our progressive tax system we are very dependent on wealthy people we can't afford to lose many more of them.”