Cities working to ditch dirty energy in new buildings are celebrating a big win. A federal judge recently upheld a New York City law that bans the use of methane gas in new construction.
In a Reddit post to r/Energy, one social media user shared a Grist article detailing the clean energy ruling.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed trade groups’ lawsuit claiming that gas restrictions violated federal law. Pro-climate groups are hopeful that this case will reinvigorate local climate action by enforcing strict pollution limits from fuel burned in new buildings.
Laws like the one in New York could effectively ban gas stoves, gas water heaters, and gas furnaces. Therefore, developers would need to equip and install clean energy alternatives such as heat pumps and induction cooktops.
With this legal precedent, other cities and states have a new motivation to move forward with building electrification projects that reduce pollution in their communities. There are already similar legal challenges underway in other places, including Denver, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Fortunately, clean energy solutions are becoming more affordable and cost-effective as technology improves and public education increases.
For example, induction stoves are an effective way to avoid the dangers of gas stoves and cook with greater precision in a kitchen without toxic fumes.
Many homeowners have been able to upgrade their old gas stoves to induction ones with federal tax incentives of up to $840 through the Inflation Reduction Act. However, it’s crucial to act quickly to take advantage of these cost savings because they’re set to expire at the end of the year.
Even if you can’t afford a major kitchen upgrade, affordable plug-in induction burners start at just $50.
Fellow Reddit users were encouraged by the news in New York and shared their feedback in support of cleaner, healthier new buildings.
“This is a basic safety issue,” one Reddit user commented. “Natural gas regularly blows up homes and kills people. … Additionally, natural gas stoves are awful for health, causing huge amounts of asthma in kids.”
“It is a great idea!” someone else wrote. “One of our biggest enemies is natural gas.”
“If I was buying a home and saw that natural gas was installed then I would pay to remove it,” another Redditor shared.
��
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club.