Buildings

Despite broad support for the NY HEAT Act, which would reform utility law to accelerate electrification, the fate of the bill in the New York Assembly remains unclear, with just a few days left in the legislative session.

A new report finds that U.S. gas utilities could spend up to $1.4 trillion on gas infrastructure through 2050. It warns that regulators need to manage the transition away from gas to avoid the continued build-up of stranded asset risk.

The French government has launched an ambitious public consultation to phase out fossil fuel heating in buildings and drive building decarbonization.

New York gas ban: it became the first U.S. state to ban gas in new building construction, beginning in 2026. It is the latest and most substantial victory for a nationwide effort to decarbonise buildings.

Across the U.S., gas utilities face a rocky future as states shift towards building electrification. In response, they are promoting technologies — hydrogen blending and renewable natural gas — that critics say are expensive and unworkable.

The potential New York City gas ban includes a proposed new “Cap-and-Invest” programme to speed up the energy transition.