NRDC: Hochul Commits to Removing Barriers to Climate Act Goals
ALBANY, NY – In her 2024 State of the State, Governor Hochul committed to key elements of the NY HEAT Act by supporting the removal of existing statutory conflicts with New York’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. She proposed an end to the so-called “100-foot rule” in Public Service Law which requires existing gas ratepayers to subsidize building gas infrastructure to hook up new customers. Hochul also included “other provisions of law that restrict the Public Service Commission from protecting consumers and ensuring an effective transition to clean energy,” which may refer to other elements of the NY HEAT Act, such as the obligation to provide gas service.
The following is reaction from Richard Schrader, the New York Legislative and Policy Director for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“Governor Hochul’s state of the state included support for nation-leading changes to Public Service Law. The ‘100-foot rule’ locks New York State into its dependency on fossil fuels and passes the cost of building out gas infrastructure on to customers to the tune of $200 million a year.
“Hochul also showed support to enable community-scale electrification projects that would facilitate cost-saving downsizing of the gas system. If it becomes law, these changes will allow investment in clean, healthy zero-emission homes instead of wasting billions of dollars for more fossil fuel infrastructure.
“Hochul has signaled today that she is focused on taking steps toward an affordable, managed transition off dirty fossil fuels in buildings and reaching the goals laid out by the Climate Act. Instead of further investing in a polluting fossil fuel system, New York must continue to lead the nation by focusing on reducing 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.