Economy
New York first state to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings
The environmentalists are beating down policymakers are they have won a huge battle in New York. On Tuesday, New York became the first state in the country to ban the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels for heating and cooking in most new buildings.
The law does not affect existing buildings, and exempts renovations. “It also includes exceptions for a variety of new buildings, including hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and restaurants. But it does not allow cities or counties to opt out” reports National Review.
As is standard with government oversight, the rules do not apply equally across the board, highlighting its hypocrisy.
The state’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed a ban on natural-gas hookups in new construction during her state-of-the-state address in January. “Her spokeswoman reassured environmental activists earlier this week that the law would not include a loophole allowing localities to exempt themselves from the ban” adds National Review.
“The new law will not have any loopholes that will undermine the intent of this measure,” Katy Zielinski said in a statement provided to the New York Times. “There will not be any option for municipalities to opt out.”
State Republicans, however, oppose the measure, worried that it will raise costs for consumers, stress the electrical grid, and have little environmental benefit. “A first-in-the-nation, unconstitutional ban on natural gas hookups in new construction will drive up utility bills and increase housing costs,” state Senate minority leader Robert Ortt said in a prepared statement.
Until recently, environmental groups tended to view natural gas positively and as a relatively clean bridge fuel in the transition to a low-carbon environment. The shift from coal to natural gas, which is cheap and abundant, helped the U.S. power industry lower its carbon emissions by a third between 2005 and 2019, according to a Cato Institute report from last year.
National Review writes:
But, over the past decade, many environmental groups have changed their position after research found that a larger fraction of methane in the atmosphere came from industrial sources than had previously been thought.
In 2019, Berkeley became the first U.S. city to ban gas hookups in most new homes or commercial buildings, drawing a lawsuit from the California Restaurant Association. Last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ban. Gas-industry representatives and New York Republicans have suggested the new legislation could be struck down in court along similar lines.
Other progressive cities and counties have instituted their own bans on new gas hookups. In 2021, New York City passed a ban on natural-gas hookups in new buildings under seven stories, which is set to take effect in December. The law will apply to taller buildings beginning in 2027.
In March, the Bay Area’s air-pollution regulators voted to phase out and eventually ban the sale of new gas furnaces and water heaters in the Northern California region, a move that energy experts and economists say will be costly for residents and will likely have limited environmental impact.
“There is no problem with natural gas appliances,” Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute told National Review at the time. “They’re not zero-emitting, but they’re very, very low-emitting. There’s no real problem with the emissions, and they’re economical in use, and consumers prefer them for that reason.”
In New York, most homes rely on natural gas for heating, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and there will likely be significant legal battles for the new legislation ahead.
Marn’i Washington, the former Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) supervisor fired for instructing workers to avoid homes displaying Trump campaign signs, stated on Tuesday that the incident was part of a larger pattern of political bias within the agency. Washington, who previously served as a Disaster Survivor Assistance crew leader in Highland County, Florida, called the occurrence a “colossal event” that extended beyond Florida, affecting other states like North and South Carolina after hurricanes devastated the region.
According to the Daily Caller News Foundation, Washington’s comments came in an interview with journalist Roland Martin, where she described the practice as part of a broader trend within FEMA, alleging that it had occurred in multiple states, particularly in areas that had supported President Donald Trump. “If you look at the record, there is what we call a community trend,” Washington said, suggesting that FEMA’s actions weren’t isolated. “FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then deescalation. This is not isolated. This is a colossal event of avoidance not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas.”
Washington’s remarks stem from an incident in which her team, while canvassing for hurricane relief in Lake Placid, Florida, was instructed to avoid homes with Trump signage. According to reports, the move resulted in at least 20 homes with Trump-related signs or flags being skipped over for disaster relief assistance between late October and November. These actions were allegedly in line with a set of “best practices” that included safety tips alongside the politically charged directive to avoid Trump supporters.
Washington clarified that the guidance came from higher-ups in FEMA, including Chad Hershey, her supervisor, who reportedly instructed staff to bypass homes they deemed unsafe due to hostile encounters with residents. “We will canvass at [homes] that do not have the community trend with the Trump campaign signage,” Washington explained. “If any of those residents come outside and say ‘hey, I want to register,’ we’ll welcome them into our arms… But we were not going to subject our people to continue with verbal abuse or hostile encounters.”
The former supervisor emphasized that her team experienced verbal abuse from residents who displayed Trump campaign signs on their properties, leading to her instruction to avoid those homes entirely. Washington also mentioned that her team was instructed to log reasons for skipping homes, with notes like “Trump sign no entry per leadership,” “Trump sign, no stop Trump flag,” and “Trump sign, no contact per leadership” appearing in the records. These notes were reportedly made in Highlands County, a region where nearly 70% of residents voted for Trump.
The controversial directive came in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which struck the area in October, leaving millions without power and causing approximately $50 billion in economic damage, as reported by President Joe Biden. FEMA has not denied the incident but has indicated it is taking steps to address the matter. Hershey confirmed to the Daily Wire that the agency was “aware” of the incident and is taking “immediate action.”
Washington’s firing has drawn attention to possible partisan practices within federal agencies. While she defended her actions as being in response to a difficult environment, she also criticized FEMA’s leadership for allegedly not addressing the broader issue of political bias within the agency. Washington’s claims have sparked broader questions about the extent of political influence in government disaster relief efforts and whether such biases might impact the fairness of assistance distribution in future emergencies.
-
Immigration7 days ago‘Times’ Up’ For Tren de Aragua Members, Major Arrest in NYC
-
Media6 days agoTHE POOR DEARS: White House Reporters Claim They’re Already ‘Exhausted’ by Second Trump Administration
-
Immigration6 days agoCNN Host’s Reaction to Tom Homan Comments About Denver Mayor Speaks Volumes (VIDEO)
-
Politics6 days agoBiden Omits God From Thanksgiving Message
