New York’s Climate Action Council has approved plans to phase out fossil burning furnaces like gas, propane, and oil.
New York’s Climate Action Council approved plans to phase out gas, propane, and oil burning furnaces.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, signed into law in 2019, authorized the Climate Action Council to come up with a plan to reduce gas emissions. Under this plan the gas, oil, and propane furnaces would be replaced with energy efficient electric heat pumps.
John Collis is the vice president of Fred F. Collis & Sons. He talked about the expense of the new units.
"To cover the whole house you’re probably looking at 3-4 times the cost, which would be offset by the incentives in place through the utilities and the New York State program," said Collis.
Heat pumps cost more to install than traditional furnaces but typically cost less to operate over the long run.
"A gas furnace replacement…the ductwork, the distribution is all there, and you’re replacing the furnace where a full house heat pump install you’d be putting you know multiple heat pump units throughout the house," he said.
The Climate Action Council’s plan requires these systems in every new home built starting in 2025, and existing homes are supposed to replace failing furnaces by 2030, but these timelines may be too aggressive.
"A lot of the goals that are being set forth for electrification in the future, in my opinion, are lofty, and timelines may change as we move forward and kind of figure out the technology a little bit more," said Collis.
Collis says these electric heating units have their advantages, but upstate New York also has climate challenges.
"With electricity you’re dependent on the power grid, where with oil you know if you have oil in your basement you’re not dependent on the power grid," he said.
For more information, click here or read the full plan below: