In new buildings under seven floors in New York, fossil fuel-powered stoves and heating systems will be prohibited starting in 2026. All new construction will eventually be subject to the restriction. The state has a bold plan to reduce carbon emissions by 40% over the next ten years. It’s a noble objective. Who wouldn’t want to live in a cleaner environment? But is relying on power the best way to make the world greener?
Three-fifths of the electricity in New York State was generated by power plants using natural gas in 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Because natural gas is hazardous for the environment, new buildings will need to have electric stoves and furnaces. However, the electricity required to run them. The power that powers your environmentally friendly electric automobile is the same, by the way. In 2021, nearly a quarter of the state’s energy came from nuclear power, another fuel that is on the green bad list.
Approximately 90% of New York’s electricity in 2021 was produced from natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric power combined. Three-tenths of New York’s in-state electricity net generation came from renewable sources, primarily hydroelectric power plants, according to the EIA. Each of the two sources contributed 3% to the electricity produced in New York. Renewable energy sources won’t be able to supply all of these new electrical systems with electricity for a very long time.
