вЂњWe have real concerns that, as envisioned, these (proposals) may result in increased energy costs for customers,вЂќ Bryan Grimaldi, a vice president of power provider National Grid, told council members last month. Utilities, meanwhile, have sounded economic alarms, while saying they support and are working on greening the energy supply.

Real estate groups also pressed to push back the deadlines for nixing gas, saying that alternative technologies - such as electric heat pumps that transfer heat between indoors and outdoors - need more time to develop, particularly for skyscrapers. James Whelan, who runs a landlordsвЂ™ lobbying group called the Real Estate Board of New York, said Wednesday that it gets the importance of moving away from fossil fuels, but вЂњthese policies must be implemented in a way that ensures that New Yorkers have reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity.вЂќ

It already struggles during heat waves in the city, sometimes resulting in sizeable neighborhood outages. Still, some building interests worried at a City Council hearing last month that banning new natural gas hookups could strain the electrical grid. The state envisions big increases in wind and solar power, among other approaches to meet its renewable energy targets and growing demand. The organization said in a recent report that itвЂ™s still studying how those trends will affect the power system, but it forecasts that electricity demand in winter could surpass summer peaks by about 2040. In New York, shifts toward electric vehicles, furnaces and appliances are вЂњexpected to create long-term upward pressureвЂќ on electricity use, according to the New York Independent System Operator, which oversees the stateвЂ™s electricity supply. In Texas, the effort began before, but gained all the more steam after, a February storm spawned massive power outages that left many households shivering without electricity, heat or drinkable water for days. The AG hasnвЂ™t taken action against the new effort to date.ДЄt the same time, states including Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas have barred cities from enacting such laws, saying that consumers should have their choice of energy sources.

It was retooled and reapproved this summer after the state attorney general blocked the first version, saying it intruded on state authority. The town of Brookline, Massachusetts, has passed one twice. ItвЂ™s too early to gauge the impact, said Amy Rider of the Building Decarbonization Coalition, which advocates for such laws. cities - mainly in California - have followed suit. The measure faces an ongoing court challenge from a restaurant association, but San Francisco, Seattle and a few dozen other U.S. He called the legislation вЂњa real game-changer on the national scene.вЂќД«erkeley, California, debuted the idea of banning gas hookups for new buildings in 2019. вЂњThis is a huge, huge step forward,вЂќ said Alex Beauchamp of Food & Water Watch, an environmental group. They argue it would boost momentum ahead of a statewide requirement to use 70% renewable energy by 2030, up from about 30% now.

New buildingsвЂ™ stoves and furnaces would use electricity generated partly from burning natural gas and other fossil fuels, but backers say the change still would keep millions of tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over time. Heating, cooling and powering buildings accounts for nearly 70% of the cityвЂ™s emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. Supporters say itвЂ™s a substantial and necessary move to combat global warming. Hospitals, commercial kitchens and some other facilities would be exempt.

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