Poll Finds New York All-Electric Law Lacks Awareness and Buy-In

New York’s new law requiring structures under seven stories built beginning next year to be all electric could come as a surprise to many state residents — and maybe an unwelcome one at that.

A recent online survey of more than 1,200 New Yorkers by the New York State Builders Association, representing residential builders in the state, found many were unaware of the new All-Electric Building Act that will put those looking to buy a newly built home after January 1 in one that lacks a natural gas or any other fossil fuel connection. Half reported not having heard about it at all while an additional 20% reported only passing knowledge of it (see Fig. 1).

The report on the findings, drafted by retained survey firm Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc., was released in early September as Enterprise: “Statewide Perceptions of the New York State All-Electric Building Act.” It remarks that “only 14% of residents indicated they were moderately or extremely aware (of it), suggesting that despite its policy significance the Act has not yet reached most New Yorkers in a meaningful way.”

While the survey found 81% were not considering the purchase of a new-construction home next year, there were indications that for some, the new all-electric mandate might factor into their decision if they were to consider it. While 62% said it wouldn’t affect their thinking, 16% said they would not be supportive of the requirement if they were in buying mode; in other words, perhaps, it might help steer them away. On the flip side, another 12% said they would be supportive of it if they found themselves in buying mode, that it might in fact be a net plus.

Irrespective of their immediate home-purchase plans or awareness of the change coming next year, respondents revealed a deep vein of varying concerns about the all-electric home and, particularly, a mandate. In addition to worries about not having gas cooking or heating, the possible impact on backup home generators powered by fossil fuels and higher utility costs, many displayed awareness of the broader impact of more electricity demand taxing an already strained electric grid (see Fig. 2).

Offering written comments as they moved through the survey’s description of the law in more detail, only a small minority expressed full-throated support. The bigger share didn’t like the idea of a mandate, worried about the impact on energy reliability and saw higher upfront costs.

“Many felt the change was mandated without enough planning or infrastructure and feared being dependent on a fragile grid,” the report summary noted. “A few participants were open to the idea but voiced conditional support, such as needing more reliable battery storage or wanting the option to opt-in rather than being required.”

And even the “rare” comments supporting the law for the prospect of “reduced energy bills, improved technology, or environmental benefits” were “often paired with caveats about implementation challenges.”

For the NYSBA, the results point to at least the need for more education on the law and reading between the lines, even revisions or a wholesale rethinking of its wisdom. It could have far-reaching unintended consequences, it says, including a scaling back of new home construction at a time when more housing stock is needed in the state. 

Quoted in a press release, Mike Fazio, executive director of the NYSBA, said the law’s aims on climate-related issues are important to consider, but so, too, is the potential economic fallout: “This survey makes clear that the All-Electric Buildings Act, as currently structured, risks raising costs and placing new strains on affordability, energy reliability, and consumer choice.” 

Another top concern is the law’s provision that the all-electric mandate will expand in coming years. Structures higher than seven stories will be phased in as of July 2028 and New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that spawned the all-electric legislation envisions transitioning existing homes to all-electric over time as renovations occur.

The New York law, surviving court challenges and coming after some other so-called “gas bans” nationally have been struck down, has likely galvanized opposition. And directly engaging in more public outreach through surveys like the one NYSBA conducted could be an important tactic in continuing that pushback.

For instance, a 2024 poll by NW Natural, a natural gas service provider, found three-quarters opposed to banning natural gas for new homes and buildings, up nine percentage points from a 2019 survey. It also found 81% saying both electricity and natural gas were needed to reliably meet energy needs.

And at a recent Congressional hearing on appliance and building policies a mid-Atlantic coast gas company executive testified that customers and developers are telling the company they “want to have the choice of natural gas” understanding that it’s the “more affordable option.”

New York’s hard won and high-profile all-electric law, then, might be an important battleground victory for gas-ban proponents, but the outcome of the war, played out more on the public opinion battlefield, might yet hang in the balance.