Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to delay the state's All-Electric Buildings Act was well-received by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.
President and CEO Bob Duffy said moving the act forward would only deepen the affordability challenges communities are already facing.
"Grid capacity constraints are already slowing housing and business development — and this policy would only exacerbate those pressures," Duffy said in a statement. "Our energy policies need a course correction and that begins with investing in a grid that delivers affordable, reliable energy on a practical timeline that ensures New Yorkers are supported, not strained, by policies meant to uplift them.”
The law, which was scheduled to take effect in January, mandates that newly constructed single-family and low-rise buildings use all-electric heating systems and appliances.
While Duffy said the Chamber was encouraged to see the delay, others — including activists and Albany lawmakers — were not.
"It was a huge effort on all our parts to make sure this moved forward," said Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, D-Manhattan. "And to see things like this happen, really undermines what we’re doing in the legislature.”
Al Stirpe, a Democratic Assemblymember who represents parts of the Syracuse area, cited a statistic that carbon emissions are going to increase 1.2% this year, and at that rate, catastrophic weather events are just four years away.
"For people who continue to say I share the long-term goal of decarbonization, there is no long-term anymore," Stirpe said. "We’re there. We’ve got to do something now.”
