All New NYC Buildings To Be Electric By 2027 Under New Law

NEW YORK, NY —The familiar rattle of radiators heating up New York City apartments will soon become a relic, thanks to a new law phasing out the use of oil or gas in the city's buildings.

A new law, signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday, will ban the use of fossil fuels in new buildings with the goal of making all newly-constructed buildings electric by 2027.

The law is one of several new climate measures the mayor championed this week as his tenure leading the city comes to a close.

“New York City is proof that it’s possible to end the era of fossil fuels, invest in a sustainable future, protect public health, and create good paying jobs in the process,” de Blasio said. “...This is how to fight back against climate change on the local level and guarantee a green city for generations to come.”

The new law will apply to buildings of all sizes — with exemptions made for commercial kitchens or emergency standby power — and is the first of its kind in a colder-weather city according to the mayor.

It will achieve the ban by phasing in emissions limits on new residential and commercial developments starting in 2023, culminating in the all-electric rule in 2027.

The mayor, whose term is up in the New Year, said it is one of several actions he has squeezed in to fight climate change as his time in office comes to a close.

He also pointed to city budget items that will convert municipal vehicles to fully electric, a plan to make government buildings powered by 100 percent clean energy by 2025 and a $4.6 billion investment in infrastructure.

De Blasio signed an executive order Wednesday to appoint a "Chief Decarbonization Officer" who will oversee the initiatives.

A competition to build a "global climate research and action center" on Governor's Island also reached a new stage on Wednesday. Teams from four universities were chosen as finalists in the project, de Blasio said.