ATL Standard

Atlanta is not planning to join New York City in banning natural gas in new buildings.

New buildings in New York City will no longer be allowed to use natural gas following a New York City Council vote on Dec. 16. Smaller cities in the United States have tried policies like this in the past, but New York is the first major city to institute such a policy. The goal is to shift to cleaner sources of energy. This will force new buildings to rely on electricity for heat and cooking.

“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.”

Atlanta City Council communications director Zena Lewis said it’s not an issue the city government currently is addressing.

“We are not aware of any legislation regarding natural gas use for newly constructed buildings in Atlanta or any papers on the subject in the future,” Lewis told ATL Standard. “In terms of providing perspective on any related policies, we would defer to a council member.”

The New York council vote and new regulations will have no effect on already existing buildings in New York City. New buildings below seven stories have until 2023 to comply, while taller buildings have until 2027.

San Jose, California, with 1 million residents, was the largest city to enact similar policies until New York City made this official Wednesday, according to Reuters. New York City has an estimated 8.8 million residents. Atlanta’s population is estimated at 500,000.

Although a ban on natural gas is increasingly a topic across the country, politicians in Georgia’s biggest city are focused on other matters, Lewis said.

“We are not aware of any proposals regarding natural gas at the moment,” she said.

These types of policies have been popular on the West Coast as temperate weather lends itself more to less natural gas usage. New York City will be a truer test for colder climates. 

Opponents of this policy have cited concerns over price increases, a decrease in new development, and an increased strain on the grid. Real estate developers in the state said that the act would “substantially increase utility bills for New Yorkers,” according to E&E News, while doing little to curb emissions.

Ben Furnas, the city’s sustainability chief, said New York City was on the cutting edge.

“We’re really setting the pace here, saying that if it can be done in New York City, it can really be done anywhere,” Furnas told E&E News. “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.”

James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, urged caution.

“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,” Whelan said in a statement to E&E News.

Consolidated Edison, 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.