Labor and Business Leaders Warn of Consequences
A bipartisan delegation of local elected officials joined by regional business and labor leaders took aim at language in New York’s pending state budget, which seeks to ban the use of natural gas and oil heating in new constructions by 2027. There is also more stringent legislation that seeks to accomplish the same in building under seven stories by 2024.
The budget proposal by Governor Hochul (D-Buffalo) is intended to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Some supporters of similar measures point to contemporary examples of energy dependence as a cause for moving away from natural gas. New York City passed a similar proposal that dictates all new constructions built after 2027 be fully electric. The justification is a desire to reduce emissions and mitigate the consequences and speed of climate change.
However, attendants of the rally outside of Smithtown Town Hall on March 25 were skeptical of the promises of this budget proposal and accompanying legislation. They were particularly worried about what this would mean for consumers and whether our electrical grid even had the capacity to support a change so quickly.
“We all want a cleaner future but setting arbitrary deadlines to phase out reliable sources of energy before sufficient supply is available hurts our economy and threatens to cost us jobs when we need them most,” said Senator Alexis Weik (R-Sayville. “This bill will make you pay more to heat your home and fuel your business.”
Adding to these concerns was Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), who said, “This ill-conceived mandate must be taken out of the state budget and voted on separately with a full discussion with all interested parties.”
“If the governor and majority leadership in the legislature were truly confident in the public support of natural gas ban policies, this issue would be debated openly and inclusively,” stated Mark Valentini, Legislative Affairs Director for Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of how Governor Hochul was looking to pass the initiative.
In the same green vein as the budget proposal’s supporters, some participants argued that natural gas was important as a lower-emission alternative to other fossil fuels.
“Additionally, fuel cell technology can utilize natural gas and lower emissions another 38% without combustion,” said Matthew Aracich, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Aracich was also concerned with his membership’s jobs since natural “as an industry represents many middle-class jobs right here on Long Island.”
“Thank you to Senator Mattera for bringing everyone together to show our unified opposition to this mandate. While we all agree that we need to protect our environment, any changes must be done in a very rational and open way. We need to ensure that there is public input and a robust conversation about energy policy so that our entire state moves forward together. That will protect jobs, protect our economy and protect our environment, and that must be everyone’s goal,” stated Town of Babylon Supervisor and Suffolk County Democratic Party Chairman Richard Schaffer (D-Babylon).
New York’s self-imposed budget deadline is April 1.
