By Flugue Joseph Jr
Activists and elected officials rallied at City Hall to urge Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the ban on the 100-foot rule for new natural gas pipeline connections. Lisa Marshall, Organizing Director for New Yorkers for Clean Power, introduced “We know the utilities are not going to stop this practice that is so good for their corporate profits until lawmakers and the governor act to change the law.” said Marshall.
The 100-foot rule bill was originally part of the much larger New York Heat Act, which the legislature did not pass. The legislature did approve the ban on the 100-foot rule, which requires gas utilities to connect new construction with existing pipelines with ratepayers footing the bill. But the governor has yet to sign the bill. If the new bill is signed into effect the cost of new gas pipelines will be solely on the owner of said property.
Various climate advocacy groups participated, including the Association for Energy Affordability, Food and Water Watch, Sane Energy Project, 350Brooklyn and Climate Families.
“One in four New York households already cannot afford to pay their energy bills, but that isn’t stopping Con Ed and National Grid and other utilities from raising rates so they can continue to build new gas pipelines, dirty gas pipelines, and we are paying the bill,” said Marshall.
Senator Liz Kreuger, who sponsored the bill in the state Senate, pointed out that other states are not stalling on the push for green energy. She mentioned Texas’ recent investments on renewables. “Texas is moving to sustainable energy, [they’ve] sped up the amount of solar energy and battery storage and wind. Even in the last year under their favorite president, Donald Trump, they’re not stepping back. They’re not stepping away. They’re moving forward, because they understand with the impact of climate change, their future is in green energy, they’re doing it. We better well damn do it, too.”
Assemblywoman Joanne Simon spoke about the misconception that rising rates are due to investment in renewable energy. “You keep hearing that my rates are going up because of green energy. They are not going up because of green energy. They are going up because of fossil fuels.” said Assemblywoman Simon. “The cost of putting in those pipelines and repairing those pipelines are very expensive.”
New Yorkers for Clean Power hope that Governor Hochul will sign the bill before Climate Week ends on September 28th. However, activists are scheduling further events to pressure the governor, including an electric candlelight vigil outside the War Room in Albany on December 11th.