New York State building code update would ban fossil fuels in new buildings
By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor
New York’s Building Code Council is set to include the All-Electric Buildings Act in its 2025 code update.
The Act would ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings. The 2025 code update will undergo a public comment period before the council votes on the new code provisions.
If the council votes in favor, all-electric cooking and heating will be required for new buildings of less than seven stories by 2026, and 2029 for taller buildings. To meet its 2050 net-zero emissions goal, New York will have to install an estimated 396,000 heat pumps above expected sales.
Funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are available to convert existing buildings to all-electric status. Low-income New Yorkers can qualify for electrification and climate efficiency rebates.