More than a dozen New York assemblymembers are pushing back on a construction law expected to reduce energy and health costs — and critics say they aren't acting in the best interests of residents.
What's happening?
As detailed by Canary Media, New York officially became the first state to approve an all-electric building standard in July after the All-Electric Buildings Act initially paved the way in 2023.
The new rules, slated to go into effect Dec. 31, would ban buildings up to seven stories tall, along with commercial and industrial buildings up to 100,000 square feet, from installing dirty fuel infrastructure during construction. The regulations would apply to bigger buildings in 2029.
While a previous model from the state's grid operator suggested that electrifying the new buildings wouldn't be a burden and the law exempts projects if the grid can't support them within a reasonable time frame, 19 Democratic assemblymembers wrote to Gov. Kathy Hochul in November, urging her to reconsider the timeline for implementing the legislation.
"While I share the long-term goal of decarbonizing our state, I believe the imminent requirement to mandate all-electric new buildings must be paused pending thorough reassessment of grid reliability, cost impacts, and risk mitigation," the assemblymembers wrote.
"The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has flagged serious concerns that warrant a more cautious approach."
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Why is this important?
The move was expected to improve air quality by slashing harmful air pollution. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation's recent report on heat-trapping pollution, buildings account for nearly one-third of New York's pollution associated with asthma and heart disease.
Electrification would also save residents money on utility bills, as upgrades such as heat pumps and induction stoves are more energy-efficient than their gas-fueled counterparts.
While Gov. Hochul said at a press conference that she would consider her fellow Democrats' request "with a very realistic approach" and with an eye on affordability, nonprofit advocacy groups were among those who expressed skepticism, per Canary Media.
"This is purely a political maneuver. [They] are working with fossil-fuel interests," Michael Hernandez, New York policy director at Rewiring America, said. He noted that many of the assemblymakers represented flippable districts.
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Definitely 💯 "We are seeing tremendous misinformation from the fossil-fuel industry. The governor should not cave to the fearmongering of an industry that is only interested in its own profits," added Elizabeth Moran, New York policy advocate at Earthjustice.
What's being done about this?
Earthjustice attorney Michael Lenoff said to Canary Media that NYISO's approach to determining blackout risks was "based on a variety of extreme assumptions for which NYISO does not present factual support." While he acknowledged several legitimate and nuanced concerns about grid capacity, he also suggested that consumers shouldn't pay the price.
In its own 2025 Power Trends report, NYISO identifies energy-hungry industries, such as cryptomining, rather than building electrification, as the significant short-term issue.
"If the lawmakers are concerned about grid capacity and energy affordability, they should prioritize reining in large energy users like data centers and crypto-mines rather than cutting back on electrification," Lenoff told Canary Media. "That's a commonsense policy that will save people money while cutting climate pollution."
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