Beacon will require all-electric appliances in new buildings starting next year.
The city of Beacon, New York became the third in the state to ban fossil fuels in new buildings with a unanimous City Council vote this week. “The law requires all-electric construction for all new buildings and major renovations starting in 2024, and mirrors language in the statewide All-Electric New Building Act proposed with 85 co-sponsors in Albany.”
According to a press release from Food & Water Watch, “Buildings are New York’s largest polluters, producing 32% of the state’s climate-heating greenhouse gas emissions — all-electric construction would slash climate warming emissions.”
As the press release explains, “Ending fossil fuel use in new construction would prevent air pollution equivalent to keeping 870,000 gas-powered cars off the road every year, and save families in new homes statewide an average of over $900 a year on energy bills.” In addition to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, swapping out gas ranges for electric stoves improves indoor air quality and public health.
Berkeley, California instituted a similar policy in 2019.
FULL STORY: Beacon, NY City Council Unanimously Votes to Ban Fossil Fuels in New Buildings
New Jersey to Consider Charging Fossil Fuel Companies for Pollution
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Opinion: Supporting Electric School Buses is the Right Thing to Do — and Fiscally Conservative
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Baltimore Bans Gas Leafblowers
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
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San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research