NY HEAT: escaping from gas infrastructure
As of 2024, New York’s current law is designed to incentivize gas hookups. It requires that gas companies provide free hookups to gas lines for new customers within 100 feet of pipe system. Existing customers subsidize the work. That amounts to $200MM annually burdened by existing rate payers. In other words: as the world keeps heating up from oil and gas, our laws continue to incentivize growing gas infrastructure and forcing existing customers to foot the bill.
NY HEAT seeks to do away with this poorly constructed 100-foot rule. It was supported by 300+ climate organizing groups and widely supported by the NY senate and assembly members. The bill also aims to make energy affordable for lower-income New Yorkers by capping bills to 6% of income. This could save some families ~$75/month.
NY Heat failed in 2024
NY HEAT failed to pass in 2024, in large part because gas lobbyists claimed that it risks jobs and burden an electricity infrastructure that's not ready to handle the extra load. Will we need to re-imagine our workforces to support a just transition? YES. Do we need to quickly build renewable energy infrastructure to meet the changing demand on the electricity grid? YES.
Should these needed investments be used as a reason to keep on investing in and growing poison? We say no.
