New York moved to delay the implementation of a law that would mandate all-electric heating and cooking systems in new buildings, effectively banning new natural-gas powered stoves and furnaces.
The law, known as the All-Electric Buildings Act, was scheduled to go into effect in January 2026. However, as the mandate continues to be wrapped up in the courts, it is now unclear whether the state will move to enforce the law.
Once in effect, the law would bar the installation of gas-powered heating and cooking systems in new buildings that are seven stories or shorter. The mandate was also expected to take effect for all other buildings in 2029, with some exceptions for large buildings such as stores, hospitals, and restaurants.
Attorneys representing the state agreed to delay the implementation of the law in a stipulation filed in the U.S. District Court in Albany on Wednesday.
New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley wrote in the filing that the decision to temporarily suspend the law was to “avoid further litigation” and “uncertainty” during the appellate process.
The state is facing legal challenges from trade groups, led by Mulhern Gas, that have argued that the law infringes on federal law.
The groups first filed their lawsuit in 2023, arguing that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act preempted state laws.
“The nation’s energy policy cannot be dictated by state and local governments; such a patchwork approach would be the antithesis of a national energy policy,” their complaint said at the time.
“Further, millions of New Yorkers use natural gas, propane, and oil for home heating, cooking, and hot water, particularly in the coldest winter months, and the decision to outright prohibit the use of all fuel gas — even propane — in new buildings is at odds with citizens’ and businesses’ need for reliable, resilient, and affordable energy,” the trade groups added.
In July of this year, the federal court for the Northern District of New York upheld the law, ruling that the state’s ban on new gas and propane heating and cooking systems was not preempted.
As the fossil fuel groups swiftly have moved to appeal the ruling, home building trade associations have asked the Trump administration to step in.
In a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi in June, the New York State Builders Association and National Association of Home Builders asked the government to delay or block the state law.
“The gas ban violates core constitutional principles of interstate commerce by attempting to dictate national energy usage through state-level restrictions,” the letter said. “It burdens domestic energy production, raises costs on middleclass homeowners, and compromises energy reliability and economic freedom.”
Trump has long been a proponent of gas-powered heaters and cooking equipment, and has repeatedly criticized Democratic efforts to transition to electrical alternatives.
Many Democrat-run cities and states have moved to phase out the use of gas-powered furnaces and stoves due to concerns about human health risks and the dangers of methane emissions associated with these fossil fuel appliances.
The Biden administration also aimed to regulate the industry via the Department of Energy, issuing efficiency standard rules that would have prohibited roughly 3% of gas stove models on the market. Those regulations, as well as dozens of other climate and environmental-related rules, were quickly lifted this summer under Trump.
While environmental advocates have slammed New York’s decision to delay its gas stove ban, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) office has insisted that the state is not changing course on its climate change-related goals.
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“The governor remains committed to the all-electric-buildings law and believes this action will help the state defend it, as well as reduce regulatory uncertainty for developers during this period of litigation,” Hochul’s office said.
The appellate court has reportedly not added the case to its calendar as of Wednesday, according to the Times Union. The trade groups challenging the ruling have until late December to submit any additional filings.
