Mayor de Blasio signs Int. 2317-A into law. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
The bill bans the use of gas in new buildings by the end of 2027. On December 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Int. 2317-A into law, which requires the phasing out of the combustion of fossil fuels in new buildings. The law is the first of its kind for a large cold-weather city like New York. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel.
The bill requires buildings constructed starting in 2023 to phase in strict emission limits. By 2027, all buildings constructed must be fully electric. Limited exemptions are available for certain uses like commercial kitchens, laundromats, or emergency or standby power, and in buildings with 50 percent or more of the units set aside as affordable housing. The bill also requires the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability to conduct two studies; one regarding the use of heat pump technology and another on the bill’s impact on the City’s electrical grid.
By requiring new buildings to reduce or restrict the usage of fossil fuels, the City aims to reduce New York’s overall carbon emissions. Research from the Rocky Mountain Institute showed that this law will prevent 2.1 million tons of carbon emissions by 2040. The bill furthers the City’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Mayor de Blasio stated, “New York City is proof that it’s possible to end the era of fossil fuels, invest in a sustainable future, protect public health, and create good paying jobs in the process. If the largest city in America can take this critical step to ban gas use, any city can do the same! Thank you to the City Council for getting this done. This is how to fight back against climate change on the local level and guarantee a green city for generations to come.”
Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters stated, “New York City has set ambitious goals to tackle the climate crisis, and this bill to electrify new buildings is a critical step that takes bold action to reduce the largest source of emissions in the City. This collaboration between the public and private sector will create green jobs, fuel the clean energy economy, and reduce our use of fossil fuels and climate pollution. We thank the bill’s sponsor Council Member Alicka Amprey-Samuel, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, and the Mayor for signing this important policy into law.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)