New York legislators voted for a bill that will end subsidies for new natural gas line hookups, News10 ABC reported.
The old policy, passed in 1981, fully subsidized homeowners who built within 100 feet of a gas line. All gas customers across the state shared the cost. These subsidized home hookups cost $2,500 to almost $100,000 per customer from 2017 to 2021.
Senate sponsor Liz Krueger said that if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs this bill into law, the change would make energy more affordable for millions of New Yorkers. By ending these subsidies, the state is encouraging homeowners to consider cleaner appliances when building and renovating.
Assembly sponsor Jo Anne Simon said the bill also stops utility providers from getting unlimited subsidies to lengthen "polluting gas pipelines." Laura Shindell, New York State director at Food and Water Watch, noted that for decades, the "fossil fuel expansion that pollutes our communities and drives up energy costs" had been residents' responsibility.
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For homeowners seeking cleaner cooking methods, induction stoves are a great option. Induction stoves cook food faster and are less expensive to run over time than regular stoves, and they don't lead to the health issues commonly associated with gas stoves.
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The New York policy has gained support from climate-conscious communities. "The point is that if we are ever going to have a carbon-neutral energy grid … we need to be turning off gas meters, not hooking up new ones," a Redditor in r/Futurology wrote. "Ending subsidies for new gas hookups seems like the absolute minimum to me for climate-smart policy."
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Jessica Azulay, executive director of the Alliance for a Green Economy, agrees, saying the bill is "the first step toward relieving New Yorkers of the burden of paying for unnecessary pipelines."
With these changes, New Yorkers have both financial and planet-friendly reasons to check out cleaner energy options such as induction cooktops.
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