Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to reduce natural gas usage in New York state has caused a flurry of criticism, especially from Republicans in the state Legislature.
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, during a news conference with Republican colleagues, blasted the plan, claiming that replacing natural gas-powered heating systems with electricity won’t lower energy bills. That’s because of the investment that would be needed in the electrical grid and in buildings to convert from a natural gas heating system to one powered by electricity.
“There needs to be investment in the grid,” Ortt said. “The grid today can’t handle the increased electric load. Don’t take my word for it. That comes from National Grid, the people who run it.”
We can’t fact-check predictions of what will happen with energy bills. But we did wonder about his claim regarding the capability of the electrical grid and what would happen if the state moves away from natural gas, as Hochul has discussed.
In Hochul’s State of the State address Jan. 10, she proposed that, starting in 2025, newly built single-family homes be prohibited from installing equipment powered by fossil fuels, such as natural gas. That means no natural gas appliances, though her budget proposal contains several exemptions, including restaurants and hospitals. Her plan also recommends that, starting in 2030, homeowners who need to replace existing heating systems be required to do so with zero-emission systems.
The Hochul administration has said existing gas stoves would not be affected by the fossil fuel heating equipment proposal. This means that under the proposal, existing gas stoves could be replaced, but fossil fuel heating equipment could not.
National Grid, one of several companies that delivers electricity to customers in New York, told PolitiFact that the grid could not handle additional demands as described in the state’s climate goals, but said that it is making…
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