Senator Fred Akshar Releases Petition Against Potential Wood Burning Ban

Senator Fred Akshar announced a new online petition to oppose a ban on upstate wood burning stoves. Akshar’s petition coincides with the latest reports from the 22-member Climate Action Council’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050. One of the strategies discussed is reducing wood burning consumption by 40 percent.
 

“Have these Albany bureaucrats considered the needs of the hundreds of thousands of upstate New Yorkers who depend on wood to heat their homes before targeting them with mandates?” said Senator Fred Akshar. “New York families already pay the highest energy cost in the nation, and now they want to reduce their access to affordable heating. If this council wants “quantifiable benefits” they should find a way to reduce energy costs by 40%, not take away an affordable heating source used by countless upstate New Yorkers.“

In 2019, the Legislature passed the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which aims to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050. Akshar voted against the measure.

While the Council has denied looking at any specific legislation to ban wood burning in 2022, reducing wood consumption by targeting wood stoves has been widely discussed at their meetings as the Council moves toward finishing its final Scoping Plan by the end of the year.

“This could lead to a potential ban on wood-burning stoves in homes, on top of the move to eliminate natural gas hook-ups,” said Akshar. "Homes in rural New York depend on wood and gas for affordable heat, and it’s out of touch decisions like these that freeze our residents and force them to flee for better, more affordable climates.”

Akshar is asking constituents opposed to any ban on wood burning stoves to sign his online petition here: https://www.nysenate.gov/webforms/petition-say-no-new-wood-burning-ban

“I’ve heard from countless constituents opposed to any ban on wood burning stoves in upstate New York,” said Akshar. “I’m urging anyone opposed to weigh in and sign our petition and I will personally deliver their comments to the Climate Action Council in Albany.”