As officials in New York state debated how, and when, to start banning fossil-fuel systems in new construction, electrification advocates gathered on Zoom to endorse the plan, talk up their cause, and answer some skeptical questions.

Architects, environmentalists, and activists in the affordable housing movement were represented during the March videoconference, which moved from electrification to a broader look at energy conservation, decarbonization, and housing.

Meanwhile, the State Assembly, its Senate, and Gov. Kathy Hochul were reportedly in general agreement on the so-called All-Electric Building Act, which would modify the state energy conservation construction code to prohibit in new buildings the installation of infrastructure and equipment for burning fossil fuels. Some exemptions, such as for emergency backup systems, were expected, and some details, including when such a measure would take effect, had not been worked out.

New York recently released a decarbonization roadmap that recommends cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40%, compared to their 1990 level, by 2030, and by 85% by 2050, and all-electric HVAC systems are a big part of that far-reaching plan.

“Electrification is not only doable, it’s affordable and will create jobs, save New Yorkers money, and improve the health and safety of our state,” said Michael Hernandez, New York policy director for Rewiring America, an electrification advocacy group.

A fossil fuel ban in new construction is the “easiest, most doable first step” toward meeting the state’s climate goals, Hernandez added.

“Buildings alone are the largest source of emissions in the state, accounting for 32% of total greenhouse gas pollution,” he said. “Simply put, we can’t get there from where we are now unless we electrify housing.” That means heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters and clothes dryers, and electric and induction stoves, he said.

Jolie Milstein, president and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH), said the affordable housing industry has been a leader in phasing out fossil fuels. Most new affordable housing in the state, she said, is all-electric or built to “Passive House” standards, which means well-insulated buildings in which heating and cooling equipment requires little energy and is often linked to renewable energy sources.

“Architects need to come together to understand how we can affordably deliver all-electric, efficient buildings by the second half of this decade,” said Matthew Bremer, president of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “And I will say it’s being done already in New York City in the affordable housing sector.” Bremer’s firm specializes in multifamily, affordable housing and has adopted energy-efficiency strategies such as “Passive House” and all-electric construction.

Hernandez said electrification makes housing more affordable for everyone.

“In addition to being more affordable to build, recent research has shown that the average new single-family home built in New York state will save approximately $904 per year if built with a cold-climate, air-source heat pump instead of a furnace or boiler,” he said. Those with ground-source heat pumps could save even more, he said.

John Woelfling, a partner at Dattner Architects, added that all-electric affordable housing enhances environmental equity by eliminating the on-site burning of fossil fuels.

“There are no longer emissions that are happening within those neighborhoods, especially in dense urban environments,” Woelfling said. “This is so important.”

Patrick McClellan, policy director at the New York League of Conservation Voters (LCV), said that heat pumps have proven themselves in cold climates.

“There is no reason not to do this, because the technology is ready,” McClellan said. “And you know, we really have an imperative to get this done if we’re serious about tackling climate change.”

Responding to questions, including from conference participants, panelists made several other points regarding electrification, including:

• Technologies like solar power and battery storage can make all-electric homes more resilient during power failures than those that rely on fossil fuels.
  “Gas furnaces on the market today still need electricity to power their electronics and fans,” said Hernandez. “So they don’t increase household resiliency.”
• An urgent need for reducing GHG emissions makes mandates, such as the All Electric Building Act, a desirable political tool to effect change. But consumer incentives, such as those in the federal Inflation Reduction Act, are useful as well.
  “We really need to be taking decisive action here,” McClellan said. “And, again, if you’re talking about all the older buildings in New York state, that is a tough nut to crack that we have to put a lot of effort into solving over the next, you know, 20 years, but new construction is the low-hanging fruit.”
• While a “skills gap” regarding some newer electrification technology can be addressed through technician education and retraining, there is expertise out there as well.
  “Even this morning, I am upstate kind of running job site to job site. ... I would think in these more rural parts, that I would be finding less and less truly skilled technicians to perform this,” Bremer said. “Luckily, that’s not the case.” Split, variable refrigerant flow (VRF), and heat-pump systems have become the new standard, he said.