Legislators and activists are rallying to squeeze the NY HEAT Act into the state budget by the April 1 deadline.

[Under current law] gas companies must provide free hookups to new customers within 100 feet of the pipe system. Existing ratepayers subsidize the work.

Getting rid of the so-called 100-foot rule would save ratepayers about $200 million annually and encourage utilities and new customers to explore other energy options.

Beyond what’s in the NYT article, part of the campaign is asking people to call their state legislators and Gov. Hochul. If you’re in New York State, this tool will walk you through connecting to the right offices and leaving a message.

  • AutoTL;DRBEnglish
    3•9 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Efforts to shoehorn the NY HEAT Act into a packed state budget are underway, with supporters contending that swift action is necessary because of the pressures of climate change and opponents say the proposed law should be set aside and more carefully considered.

    The bill’s broader aim is to accelerate a shift away from natural gas and help limit emissions from the burning of fossil fuels that cause global warming.

    “We are in a race against time,” said Liz Krueger, a Democratic senator sponsoring the bill, “not because of the mandates of our legislation, but because of the reality that the world is in crisis and at risk of self-destruction.”

    Those who oppose NY HEAT have raised concerns that the rush to include the bill in the budget could result in future problems with the reliability of energy infrastructure.

    One way it will do this is by encouraging entire neighborhoods to shift to renewable energy sources in unison, said Jessica Azulay, executive director of the nonprofit Alliance for a Green Economy.

    And the possibility of a cap on energy bills is an enticement for many New Yorkers, said Sonal Jessel, policy director at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a nonprofit group based in Harlem.

    The original article contains 825 words, the summary contains 204 words. Saved 75%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!