Narrative of Resolution:
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To oppose Governor Hochul’s Ban of Gas Stoves and other Fossil Fuel Heating Equipment
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RESOLUTION INTRODUCED BY GEORGE E. CONKLIN, IIII, DISTRICT 5 LEGISLATOR, JOSEPH PERRELLO, DISTRICT 7 LEGISLATOR, NICHOLAS SALOMONE, DISTRICT 4 LEGISLATOR AND MICHAEL BROOKS, DISTRICT 3 LEGISLATOR OPPOSING GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S BAN OF GAS STOVES AND OTHER NEW FOSSIL FUEL HEATING EQUIPMENT
WHEREAS, Governor Hochul’s State-of-the-State address contained a proposal to prohibit the sale of new fossil fuel powered heating systems by 2030 for smaller buildings and by 2035 for larger buildings, and
WHEREAS, Governor Hochul is calling for zero-emission new construction, with no on-site fossil fuel combustion by 2025 for smaller buildings and by 2028 for larger buildings, and
WHEREAS, President Biden and the White House have come out against any prohibition of gas stoves, and
WHEREAS, the Governor’s ban is intended to help address climate change, but this government mandate is more of a burden on working-class residents and will have a devastating effect on restaurants, businesses and manufacturing facilities when they have to covert to all electric, and
WHEREAS, the cost to convert a house to electric will result in a cost between $20,000-$50,000 per household and would not include any kind of backup system in the event of a power outage, and
WHEREAS, the conversion to electric will create unnecessary financial burden and hardship for businesses that compete on a national or global level, and
WHEREAS, the ban will push a lot of businesses out of state and will contribute to accelerated population loss for those that are tired of high taxes, the high cost of living, unreasonable government mandates, reckless spending by the government, and unrealistic environmental mandates, and
WHEREAS, current technology, that is expected to replace gas appliances, such as space heating, does not work well in cold climates, and
WHEREAS, electrical appliances have more moving parts and are expensive to maintain and repair, and
WHEREAS, electric appliances have been shown to be less efficient and therefore cost more to generate the same amount of heat than natural gas fed appliances, and
WHEREAS, mandating the purchase of electrical appliances is an unnecessary burden to place on families across New York State at a time when the cost of living has significantly outpaced wage growth, and
WHEREAS, with the higher costs, energy bills will increase significantly for residents, further exacerbating the recent price spikes in food, transportation, and general merchandise, and
WHEREAS, as we have seen with California’s recent push to make everything electric, this government mandate will likely lead to an increased strain on our state’s electrical grid leading to black outs and rationing, which is especially dangerous with the winter weather we routinely experience, and
WHEREAS, the costs to bury power lines, increase renewable energy infrastructure, and increase the capacity of transformers will be passed on directly to consumers in the form of increased energy costs, and
WHEREAS, individual homes, especially those in older housing stock will be forced to conduct costly in-home electrical panel upgrades to accommodate the increased demand from their appliance.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sullivan County Legislature hereby opposes the Governor’s plan to ban natural gas heating and appliances, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sullivan County Legislature hereby strongly urges Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to fully examine the real life impact their decisions will have for all New Yorkers, especially those least able to afford them, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that certified copes of this Resolution be forwarded to Governor Hochul, Senator Peter Oberacker, Assemblyperson Aileen Gunther, and the New York Association of Counties, and any other party deemed necessary and proper.
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