New York becomes the first U.S. state to ban fossil fuels in new buildings

Story: 2025 C.E.  |  Last updated: July 30, 2025

New York made history on July 25, 2025 C.E., when the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council approved rules prohibiting fossil fuel systems in most new construction — the first statewide all-electric building code in the U.S. The rules require that new homes and commercial buildings rely on electricity rather than natural gas or heating oil, with smaller buildings required to comply by December 31, 2025 C.E., and larger buildings by 2029 C.E. Buildings account for nearly one-third of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions. This policy takes direct aim at that number.

At a glance

• All-electric buildings: Starting December 31, 2025 C.E., all new construction under seven stories and 100,000 square feet must use all-electric systems, including heat pumps and induction stoves.
• Cost savings: Research by the New Buildings Institute found that building all-electric can cut construction costs by about $8,000 compared to installing gas infrastructure, with homeowners saving roughly $5,000 in utility bills over 30 years.
• Health impact: A Columbia University study linked building-related fossil fuel use in New York to nearly 2,000 premature deaths and more than $21 billion in health costs in 2017 alone.

Where the law came from

The new code stems from the 2023 All-Electric Buildings Act, which was written into New York’s broader Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. That law set some of the most ambitious emissions targets of any U.S. state and required the building sector to decarbonize as part of a wider statewide effort. New York City had already passed its own gas ban in 2021 through Local Law 154. The new statewide code extends that approach to every corner of the state — rural counties, small towns, and suburbs included. Cities like Berkeley, San Francisco, and Seattle pursued similar policies at the local level. But New York is the first to make it state law.

The court fight — and who won

The path to approval wasn’t smooth. The New York State Builders Association and industry groups filed a lawsuit arguing the rules would raise construction costs and strain the electric grid. They also raised a federal preemption argument, pointing to a 2023 ruling that struck down Berkeley’s citywide gas ban on similar grounds. On July 23, 2025 C.E., a federal district court sided with New York. The ruling held that the state retains authority to regulate building codes in pursuit of climate and public health goals. The decision matters beyond New York. It signals that states have legal room to move — and that the Berkeley precedent isn’t necessarily a ceiling.

What it means for health and equity

The health case for all-electric buildings is well-documented. Gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide indoors, raising the risk of asthma and other respiratory conditions — particularly for children. The Columbia University research cited above showed that fossil fuel use in buildings was not a minor issue in New York; it was costing lives. That burden has not fallen evenly. As reporting by the Times Union noted, communities of color and low-income neighborhoods absorb a disproportionate share of air pollution from fossil fuel infrastructure. The new code is framed in part as an environmental justice measure — an effort to improve health outcomes in the places where they have historically been worst. Progress on air quality has parallels elsewhere. Research into declining disease rates in the U.K. and work on reducing dementia risk both underscore how much built environment and pollution exposure shape long-term health outcomes.

What comes next

Larger buildings — those over seven stories or 100,000 square feet — must comply with the all-electric requirement by 2029 C.E. Exemptions exist for certain facilities including restaurants, hospitals, crematoriums, and some industrial and laboratory uses. Even exempt buildings must be built “electrification-ready” to allow for future retrofits, according to analysis from Phillips Lytle Law Firm. The harder work now involves grid modernization, expanded renewable generation, and making sure implementation stays affordable for working-class households and small developers. Critics have raised legitimate concerns about near-term costs — and whether the electric grid can absorb the demand. These remain real, open questions. Still, the signal New York has sent is clear. As Canary Media reported, no other U.S. state has gone this far. The policy establishes that statewide electrification of new construction is legally viable, financially defensible, and politically achievable — a combination that may matter as much as the buildings themselves.

Read more

For more from Good News for Humankind, see:

• Alzheimer’s risk cut in half by drug in landmark prevention trial
• U.K. cancer death rates down to their lowest level on record
• The Good News for Humankind archive on clean energy

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