3-minite read
Pat Guidice
| Special to the USA TODAY Network
Watch Gov. Kathy Hochul speaking with USA TODAY Network’s Ed Forbes
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke with Ed Forbes, senior director for opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Northeast, on May 29, 2025.
In wrapping up the state legislative business in Albany in June, a bill passed the Assembly and Senate that will endanger jobs, increase costs for families, limit energy choices and push New York’s already strained electric grid closer to its limits.
The bill in question eliminates the longstanding “100-foot rule,” which requires utilities to provide natural gas service free of charge to properties within 100 feet of an existing gas main.
Historically, these connection costs — like system maintenance and upgrades — were shared across the customer base, costing just pennies per household. If this bill becomes law, however, families and small businesses would be forced to shoulder the full, often unaffordable, cost of new gas connections on their own.
The goal of this bill is clear: discourage the use of gas for heating and cooking and force a direct transition to electric systems. But the state is not yet ready — either in terms of infrastructure or affordability — to support such a move.
Natural gas still serves as the primary heating source for 60% of New York homes. It remains reliable, available and, critically, more cost-effective than many alternatives. Eliminating access to this resource without first building the capacity for clean alternatives risks undermining energy reliability for everyone — particularly vulnerable and working-class communities.
The state’s own independent electric grid operator recently sounded the alarm: New York is approaching a point where electricity demand could outpace supply. Renewable sources simply have not scaled fast enough to handle the shift. Ironically, even as residents are pushed away from natural gas, the electricity they will rely on is still largely generated by gas-fired power plants. The math does not work.
This bill also creates serious barriers to development. Affordable housing projects, small business expansions, and home renovations will all become more expensive as developers are forced to pay out-of-pocket for energy infrastructure. That means fewer new units, stalled local economic growth, and increased disparities in underserved communities that are already being left behind.
Affordability is not just about consumer energy costs — it is also about jobs. Union jobs. High-quality, skilled positions that support families and local economies. Repealing the 100-foot rule puts thousands of those jobs at risk, with no guaranteed transition plan or comparable employment pipeline in place.
We cannot ignore the human cost of this legislation. Any serious energy transition must include a serious workforce transition — with investment in retraining, placement support, and a clear strategy for how existing utility workers will be protected. That conversation is glaringly absent here.
This legislation assumes a smooth and immediate switch from gas to electricity, ignoring current system constraints and real-world barriers like cost, access and readiness. It risks turning reliable utilities into luxuries, especially in communities already grappling with economic hardship.
The incremental progress New York has made toward a clean energy future is important. But dismantling the systems that currently deliver affordable, reliable power before replacements are ready is premature and unrealistic.
Any transition must be clean, affordable, high-quality, and fully regulated by the Public Service Commission, or PSC. Without thoughtful planning and proper oversight, the costs and risks of this transition will fall hardest on working families and communities that can least afford them.
Gov. Kathy Hochul must reject this bill. Not just to protect affordability and energy reliability but to safeguard jobs, development, and equity across the state.
Pat Guidice is the Business Manager for IBEW Local 1049.