NY has become the America’s first state to ban the use of fossil fuels, like gason most new buildings from 2026, a win for environmentalists.
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This great victory for environmental activists in this Democratic-majority state is not without its challenges, opposed by the powerful fossil fuel industry and by Republicans reluctant to accept the reality of climate change.
Changing the ways we generate and use energy to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels will help ensure a healthier environment for us and our children,” said state Speaker of Congress Carl Heastie following the bill’s passage.
According to the new law, which will enter into force in 2026 for new buildings with less than 7 floors and by 2029 for the tallest ones, the gas that 3 out of 5 homes now use for heating and cooking will be replaced by electricity from renewable energies. .
Hospitals, essential infrastructure and restaurants will be left out of these measures, which are expected to spread throughout the country, a claim that has intensified since the beginning of the year.
The new law does not affect existing buildings. But over time it could undermine the dominance of gas in the state, where 3 in 5 homes rely on this polluting fossil fuel for heating. Only one in seven homes is heated by electricity, according to the Department of Energy.
Buildings already built will not be affected by the new law.
The ban also affects diesel and propane heaters, fuels widely used in particular in rural areas of the state.
Critics say the law limits consumer choice and will increase bills, since electric power is more expensive than gas.
According to the Department of Energy, 52% of New York households use natural gas for apartment heating and cooking.
The United States is the main producer of natural gas in the world and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in 2022 it became the main exporter of LNG (liquefied natural gas).
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The new state budget of 229,000 million dollars, approved by Parliament on Tuesday night, contemplates the creation of a Climate Action Fund to help the State in the energy transition towards cleaner and more sustainable sources -solar, wind and hydro- in order to meet its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050.
With information from AFP
emb
2023-05-03 21:33:52
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