Enviro Groups Rally to Kick Fossil Fuels Out of New York Buildings

ALBANY, NY (01/23/2023) (readMedia)-- On Tuesday, January 24, nearly 200 advocates from across New York will gather at the Capitol to call on Gov. Hochul to uphold her State of the State commitments by including proposals in her Executive Budget that will save New Yorkers money and fight climate change. There's no time to wait: while the fossil fuel industry is busy raking in record profits and heating the planet, New Yorkers are struggling to pay their bills and suffering the daily impacts of climate change.

After the Senate Housing Committee's 10:30am meeting where they will vote on the All Electric Building Act, advocates from Long Island to Buffalo will hold a press conference at 12pm on the Million Dollar Staircase, with an Electric Slide dance to follow.

The All-Electric Building Act will ban gas hookups in new buildings across New York State, requiring them to be all-electric with appliances like energy efficient heat pumps for heating, cooling, and hot water, and modern induction cooktops.

The NY HEAT Act (formerly the Gas Transition and Affordable Energy Act) ensures that New York State will be able to meet the crucial climate justice and greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act for buildings, without sticking everyday New Yorkers with the bill.

The Energy Efficiency, Equity, and Jobs Act will ensure that New York's transition from gas to electric heating will be equitable, without leaving low income communities of color behind. The bill will also create jobs in environmental justice communities and allow funding to go toward mold and lead treatment as part of an energy efficiency retrofit.