Letters-to-the-Editor & Commentary

Support The NY Heat Act

Published 2 years ago2y ago • Bookmarks: 36

November 6, 2023

To the editor:

I appreciated the excellent presentation of difficult choices in the commentary by Laura Burkhardt, “The Municipal Solid Waste Conundrum”(Oct. 1). The need to find climate-friendly solutions throughout our energy and waste systems presents policy makers with many dilemmas. Nevertheless, we must not be discouraged about taking steps now, and in the long term, to reduce local global warming emissions and hazardous air pollution.

One place to start is the building sector. Heating our homes and businesses with fossil fuels accounts for about a third of New York’s carbon emissions, as well as contributing to air pollution. To dial down these emissions, the key is to run our homes and businesses on electricity, using efficient heat pump and induction appliances. As solar and wind farms come into operation, we get more and more clean energy into the grid.

The All-Electric Building Act, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law this year, prohibits gas, oil or propane service in new construction. The next step is teed up for the 2024 legislative session: legislation to reduce emissions from existing homes. This is the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition Act – or The NY HEAT Act. Gov. Hochul should support it.

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The NY HEAT Act would align more state regulations with our climate law, which mandates reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and manage the transition away from fossil fuels. It would prohibit new gas infrastructure to serve areas where it previously did not exist, and it would allow regulators to gradually decommission existing pipelines. It would repeal the subsidies built into our utility bills by removing the 100-ft rule for running new gas lines. New York gas customers spend $200 million per year expanding the gas system, which ultimately will be a stranded asset. To protect consumers, the NY HEAT Act would limit energy costs for low-to-moderate income New Yorkers to no more than 6% of income.

As Ms. Burkhardt advocates reducing municipal solid waste, we must reduce fossil fuel use in our buildings. The NY HEAT Act gives us a path to make that happen at scale, starting soon, and Gov, Kathy Hochul must include this legislation in her budget for 2024. The climate crisis is accelerating, and we do not have time to waste.

Norman J. Sissman

Sleepy Hollow

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