Madison Reporter

New York City has banned natural gas in new buildings, but Madison, Wisconsin won’t follow suit.

It probably couldn’t if it wanted to, Madison Common Council President Alder Syed Abbas tells Madison Reporter.

The New York City Council voted Dec. 16 to become the largest city to institute such a policy. The goal is to shift to cleaner sources of energy by mandating new buildings use electricity for heat and cooking.

Madison Common Council President Alder Syed Abbas | City of Madison

“The bill to ban the use of gas in new buildings will [help] us to transition to a greener future and [reach] carbon neutrality by the year 2050,” said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, as reported by Reuters. “We are in a climate crisis and must take all necessary steps to fight climate change and protect our city.”

Abbas said this is not going to happen in Madison.

“I am not aware of [any member] or the council banning using natural gas in commercial buildings,” he told Madison Reporter. “I am also not sure if state law allows us to ban it. Under the [Gov. Scott] Walker administration, the State Assembly put a ban on municipalities to ban anything including plastic products like straw, plates, etc.”

Republican Walker served two terms as governor, from 2011-2019.

The new regulation in The Big Apple will have no effect on already existing buildings in the city. New buildings below seven stories have until 2023 to comply, while taller buildings have until 2027.

San Jose, California, with 1 million residents, was the largest city to enact similar policies until New York City made this official on Wednesday. New York City has an estimated 8.8 million residents. Madison’s population is estimated at 273,469.

These types of policies have been popular on the West Coast as temperate weather lends itself more to less natural gas usage. New York City will be a true test for colder climates. Opponents of this policy have cited concerns over price increases, barriers to new development and increased strain on the grid. Real estate developers in the state said that the act would “substantially increase utility bills for New Yorkers” while doing little to curb emissions, E&E News reports.

Ben Furnas, the city’s sustainability chief, said New York is on the cutting edge of this issue.

“We’re really setting the pace here, saying that if it can be done in New York City, it can really be done anywhere,” Furnas said, as reported by E&E News. “We’re big, we’re dense, we’re complicated, we have all four seasons. We’re putting a marker down, saying the next generation of buildings is going to be electric. We want to be a model for the world.”

James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, expressed some concern.

“While we appreciate that the efficient electrification of buildings is an important component of realizing these goals, these policies must be implemented in a way that ensure that New Yorkers have reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity to heat, cool and power their homes and businesses,” Whelan said in a statement to E&E News.

Consolidated Edison, which supplies power and gas in New York City, said “the establishment of a clear-cut path toward electrification of most new buildings is a sensible and necessary step on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050,” Reuters reported.

“Reducing New York’s reliance on natural gas will gradually increase demand for electricity, but our electric grid is more robust than it’s ever been, and we will be ready for a renewable-powered future,” Con Edison said.

Abbas, a native of Pakistan, came to Madison with his wife Holly, a Wisconsin native. They have two children.

He represents District 12 on the Common Council, and was first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. He was named vice president of the council in 2020 and elevated to president in April 2021.