Gov plan gets gas panned

A majority of New Yorkers are against Gov. Hochul’s plan to bar gas stoves in new buildings beginning in 2025, a Siena College poll revealed Monday.

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed were against the proposal, with only 39% in support.

The plan, which critics say would raise the costs for ordinary families and affect the quality of meals, would extend to larger buildings under construction by 2028.

“Democrats strongly support Hochul’s proposal on prohibiting fossil-fuel-burning equipment in most new construction within the next several years, however, Republicans and independents are even stronger in their opposition,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.

The poll, conducted Feb. 19-23, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points, highlights how Hochul continues to struggle on some key issues as she pushes a range of controversial proposals ahead of an April 1 budget deadline.

Along with barring gas hookups in new buildings, Hochul wants to start a “cap and invest” program that she says will raise $1 billion by making “large-scale” polluters pay up.

She has also argued that the state must push electrification mandates for new buildings in order to meet the legally mandated goal of cutting greenhouse emissions 85% by 2050, an idea that has caused massive outrage among Republicans, who deem it impractical given the current level of renewable energy available to the grid.

Criticism of the proposals is part of broader attacks on Hochul’s draft spending plan.

Republican state senators blasted her approach Monday as “unrealistic, unaffordable and unforgiving” for New Yorkers struggling with rising costs.

“At a time when our economy is unstable and many of our businesses are still struggling to get back on their feet, we should be focusing on providing much-needed relief, not extreme climate policies at the taxpayers’ expense,” state Senate Republican Minority Leader Robert Ortt (R-Lockport) said.

The poll also found most New Yorkers agreed that Hochul must step up efforts to ease the pressure on their bottom lines.

A 54% majority disapprove of the job Hochul is doing with making New York more affordable compared to 39% who approve.

The numbers are much worse in the suburbs and upstate, with 63% and 64% of people from the two regions, respectively, disapproving.