When it comes to climate change, much of the blame and responsibility for change rests in cities. New York in particular has moved towards phasing out its use of fossil fuels and other pollutants. Given that New York City (NYC) is responsible for five percent of the gas burned in buildings across the US and that 40% of their carbon emissions come from buildings, it is no surprise that this has been a major area of improvement and legislation. This past December, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Local Law 154 into effect which targets building fuel use: New York’s largest source of carbon pollution.
The law has a number of components mostly relating to construction and building codes. It places an effective ban on fossil fuel systems in new buildings and renovated ones, pushing to make all new buildings completely electric. This affects everything from how the building is heated to the kind of stoves that will be in apartments. The requirements will be phased in; new low-rise buildings will be required to be electric by 2024, schools in 2025, and larger buildings will be affected by 2027. The law covers almost all new constructions and renovations with the exception of some manufacturing, hospitals, and restaurants.
Before the law was passed, the city investigated how it would affect both building costs and increased usage of the electric grid, as many in real estate and construction were concerned about what the effects of its implementation would be. However, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s research showed that more efficient electric buildings cost only two percent more than current ones to build, and that the gap is closing as the technology continues to improve.
A change this drastic and strict is not only huge considering NYC’s size, but also its weather. Local Law 154 is the first of its kind to be implemented in a cold-weather city, representing a major step forward in climate policy. The gas boilers that are now widely used to heat larger buildings will be replaced by electric heat pumps in new buildings, a change that will not only bring emissions closer to zero but will also be more efficient and give residents better control of the temperature indoors.
This isn’t the first major greenhouse gas law NYC has implemented recently. 2019 saw Local Law 97 get passed as part of NYC’s Green New Deal. One of the strictest plans for eliminating greenhouse gasses yet, the law sets the goal of reducing the emissions of the largest buildings in the city by 80% by 2050.
The law also comes amid another movement to improve NYC’s air quality. Fossil fuel appliances continue to be one of the largest sources of air pollution indoors, even contributing to high levels of carbon dioxide and formaldehyde. The new law combats this, mandating the use of electric appliances instead of fossil fuel ones. This helps protect those with health concerns in the area. Ben Furnas, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability commented, “In addition to tackling the climate crisis, all-electric buildings help protect the health of vulnerable New Yorkers, like our children and the elderly, by improving the quality of our air indoors.”
As time goes on, NYC plans to be completely carbon neutral by 2050. While it is certainly a tall order and a hefty goal, Local Law 154 and changes like it represent drastic steps towards a greener and more sustainable future.
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