All-electric Building Act a key opportunity

Michelle Hook, executive director of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, is following the axiom “Never let a good crisis go to waste” when she blames the rise in natural gas prices partly on the denial of proposed pipelines (“Temperatures rise, energy costs follow,” May 14). Her implication

is that all would be well if more gas were flowing.

But the mounting evidence of flood, fire and famine brought on by climate change tells us that the greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuel business cannot continue as usual.

Politician Rahm Emanuel defines a crisis as “an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” Many of those “new things” are in the Climate Action Council’s draft scoping plan, which outlines measures for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and strengthen resilience to climate disruption.

Among other measures, the plan advocates for the state to invest at least four times more in housing improvements for a massive uptick in electrification. This includes financial support for low- to moderate-income homeowners.

In keeping with this, the Legislature must pass the All-electric Building Act, which prohibits fossil fuel hookups in new construction statewide after 2023.

Because we rely on fossil fuels to heat so many of our homes, we have two crises: the resulting greenhouse gas emissions and sharply higher rates. We can turn those crises into an opportunity to improve the way we heat and cool our houses.

John Poreba New Lebanon