Reno Reporter

Reno and New York City are very different places, with varying practices. A ban on natural gas in new construction is another variance.

New buildings in New York City will no longer be allowed to use natural gas following a New York City Council vote Dec. 16. Smaller cities in the United States have tried policies like this in the past, but New York City is the largest and first major city to institute such a policy, NYC Gazette reported.

The goal is to shift to cleaner sources of energy. This will force new buildings to rely on electricity for heat and cooking.

San Jose, California, with 1 million residents, was the largest city to enact similar policies until New York City made this official. New York City has an estimated 8.8 million residents. Reno has an estimated population of 268,500.

Cassie Harris, a public communication specialist for the city of Reno, said the city has no intentions of banning natural gas in new buildings. Harris shared comments from a spokesperson from the city’s sustainability team with Reno Reporter.

“This is not something the city has discussed or is presently pursuing. The city of Reno feels that this should be a regional discussion,” the spokesman said. “Absent several alternatives for consumers, this would be a long process for the city of Reno. A ban would involve the utility, developers, residents, tenants and others to create specific steps toward achieving a natural gas ban (i.e. build a market for electric appliances, test and demo technologies, provide financing options, create different rules for retrofits vs new construction).”

Reno is researching its greenhouse gas emissions, the city staffer said.

“Buildings in New York City account for 70% of their greenhouse gas emissions versus Reno at 66% in 2014, but I expect that to have dropped,” the spokesman said. “The New York City ban affects new buildings. The city of Reno per capita emissions are lower than the national average. New York City’s are about 6.1 metric tons per capita, so lower than the national average and Reno. However, they are a far more densely populated city than Reno. The city of Reno needs to update our community-wide GHG inventory and that effort is on our pipeline.

Critics of the natural gas ban have raised concerns over price increases, dissuasion of new development and increased strain on the grid.

“These issues are not non-starters, but should not be ignored,” the spokesman said. “The grid strain is something the utility and Public Utilities Commission of Nevada should weigh in on to evaluate the need (or strain) in parallel to the cost. Commercial development and residential development are two very different discussions as well. Banning a natural gas hookups in a new home is less of an issue (on the consumer), than banning gas to a high-rise.”

The issue has been a topic of discussion in the Silver State.

“There was proposed legislation in 2021 (AB380) to address several of these topics and concerns. The bill did not proceed through the legislative process,” the spokesman said. “The city followed the bill and the testimony, and while there was no doubt it would drastically cut carbon emissions (45% of the total GHG emissions in our state come from burning natural gas), opponents did not feel it was ready to move in that direction. The city is looking into electrification options, pilot programs and funding sources to prepare our market for reducing a reliance on natural gas.”

New York City’s ban on new construction is part of an effort to reach a goal within three decades.

“The bill to ban the use of gas in new buildings will (help) us to transition to a greener future and (reach) carbon neutrality by the year 2050," said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, as reported by Reuters. "We are in a climate crisis and must take all necessary steps to fight climate change and protect our city."

This vote and new regulation will have no effect on already existing buildings, however. New buildings below seven stories have until 2023 to comply, while taller buildings have until 2027.

Consolidated Edison Inc. which supplies power and gas in New York City, said "the establishment of a clear-cut path toward electrification of most new buildings is a sensible and necessary step on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050," Reuters reported. 

"Reducing New York’s reliance on natural gas will gradually increase demand for electricity, but our electric grid is more robust than it’s ever been, and we will be ready for a renewable-powered future,” Con Edison said.

These types of policies have been popular on the West Coast in the past as temperate weather lends itself more to less natural gas usage. New York City will be a true test for colder climates. Opponents of this policy have cited concerns over price increases, dissuasion of new development and increased strain on the grid. Real estate developers in the state said that the act would "substantially increase utility bills for New Yorkers" while doing little to curb emissions, E&E News reported.

Ben Furnas, the city’s sustainability chief, views the situation through the following lens: “We’re really setting the pace here, saying that if it can be done in New York City, it can really be done anywhere,” he said. “We’re big, we’re dense, we’re complicated, we have all four seasons. We’re putting a marker down, saying the next generation of buildings is going to be electric. We want to be a model for the world." 

“While we appreciate that the efficient electrification of buildings is an important component of realizing these goals, these policies must be implemented in a way that ensure that New Yorkers have reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity to heat, cool and power their homes and businesses," The Real Estate Board of New York's president, James Whelan, in a statement to E&E News.