New York State’s Ban On Gas Stoves ‘Is Recipe For Disaster’

A Hudson Valley leader believes New York State residents and businesses "can't afford" a ban on gas stoves.

On Tuesday, New York State Senator Rob Rolison (39th District) announced he helped launch an online petition to protect gas stove cooking and heating in the Hudson Valley and across New York State.

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During Gov. Hochul's State of the State Address, she discussed a proposal to phase out fossil fuel heating equipment, like gas stoves, in all existing residential buildings by 2030 and 2035 for commercial structures.

"This is a recipe for disaster," Rolison's petition states. "This is not a partisan issue. It’s common sense. With power outages becoming more frequent, middle-class families can’t afford to go without gas. "

Rolison is calling on Gov. Hochul and New York's Climate Action Council to reverse the proposed statewide ban on fossil fuel heating equipment.

“We can all agree that protecting the environment should be a nonpartisan issue. After all, the American conservation movement was launched by a native New Yorker, Teddy Roosevelt. But preventing middle-class homeowners and small business proprietors such as restaurant owners from efficiently cooking in and heating their homes in a cost-effective way is a recipe for disaster,” Rolison stated.

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The proposal adds a ban on fossil fuel heating equipment that will start in new residential building construction in 2025.

According to Rolison's office:

If approved the gas ban would require current homeowners to replace their propane, gas or oil-fired furnaces with costly all-electric heat pumps by 2030. The independent Empire Center think tank notes that, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), 'electrical production in New York produced 64.8 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases in 1990, but only 31.5 million metric tons in 2016, due to a shift from petroleum oil and coal to natural gas.' The think tank predicts net costs of up to $300 billion for New Yorkers when the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the law which created the Council, is fully implemented.

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Rolison, the former City of Poughkeepsie Mayor, was elected to the New York State Senate last November. The 39th Senate District includes parts of Dutchess, Putnam, and Orange counties.

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“I will continue to oppose this ban until the Climate Council more carefully considers the adverse impact its one-size-fits all policy would have on families and businesses in the Hudson Valley. I encourage all concerned residents to visit my Senate website and make their voices heard," Rolison add.

New York State Restaurants In Danger Of Going Out of Business

Rolison believes a ban on gas stoves will force many restaurants across the state to close.

"Thousands of New York small businesses, especially restaurants, which rely on natural gas, risk going out of business if this ban is forced through state government," Rolison's petition adds.

CLICK HERE to sign the petition.