Senator Mattera: NY HEAT Act Must Be Kept Out Of Final Budget

Senator Mario Mattera, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee and colleagues today were joined by stakeholders and business organizations to call for the removal of the NY HEAT Act from budget discussions. 

The NY HEAT Act is a radical energy policy that would effectively ban the use of natural gas as an energy source for homes and businesses. If enacted, the NY HEAT Act would have disastrous implications including: 

> further driving up already high utility costs;

> forcing homeowners to spend thousands of dollars to retrofit their homes to eliminate natural gas;

> removing consumer choice on how to heat their homes; and

> further driving up the costs of building homes and homeownership. 

“The NY HEAT Act is nothing short of reckless. It strips away the right of New Yorkers to choose how to heat their homes and will force working families and businesses to spend thousands they do not have. And it will cost many hardworking men and women their careers. As the Ranking Member of the Energy Committee, I have heard directly from homeowners, workers and small businesses who are deeply concerned that this mandate would crush them. We need an energy policy that is practical, affordable, and respects the needs of real people—not one driven by political agendas. The HEAT Act must be removed from the final budget,” said Senator Mattera.

Please click here to watch Senator Mattera's comments.

“The HEAT Act is a direct attack on affordable energy and consumer choice. Albany believes they have the right to tell New Yorkers how to heat your home. Our conference knows that one-size-fits-all mandates just don’t work, and we will continue to advocate for a diverse energy portfolio that ensures clean and affordable energy options are available for consumers. I want to thank the stakeholders and businesses who are joining us to speak out against this dangerous proposal, and we urge the Governor and Legislature to remove the HEAT Act from consideration in the final budget,” said Leader Rob Ortt. 

“The HEAT Act is a misguided initiative that jeopardizes the affordability of energy for New Yorkers. This sweeping legislation would strip away consumer choice and place an unfair financial burden on families, forcing them to spend significant amounts to modify their homes. My colleagues and I are united in our opposition to this blanket ban on natural gas that fails to recognize the diverse needs of our communities. We advocate for energy policy that prioritizes sustainability, reliability, and affordability. I want to thank the stakeholders and businesses standing with us today to oppose this dangerous proposal, and we urge the Governor and Legislature to remove the HEAT Act from the final budget,” said Senator Mark Walczyk.

“The facts demonstrate, and the Senate sponsor has admitted that 75 percent of New Yorkers will see increases in their energy bill as a result of the NY Heat Act. We estimate that if the bill were enacted, most consumers would see an $800 yearly increase in energy costs. Worse, the elimination of the 100-foot rule will eliminate thousands of good paying union jobs that support working families all across New York State. We thank Leader Ortt and his conference for their support and ask the Assembly and the Governor to hold firm and keep this proposal out of the final budget,” said Daniel Ortega, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy.

“The Northeastern Retail Lumber Association represents over 350 independently owned and operated building material dealer locations across New York—small businesses that have been serving their communities for generations. These businesses provide the materials builders, contractors and homeowners rely on every day. But with costs rising across the board, they’re being squeezed, and so are the customers they serve. This bill will only drive prices higher, making it even harder for everyday New Yorkers to afford basic home repairs. The very people this bill aims to help will be the ones paying the price,” said Francis Palasieski, Director of Government Relations, NRLA.

“The NY Heat Act will put many of my specialty trained gas workers on the unemployment line. This bill is expensive and it will reduce jobs as well as consumer choice. I thank the Conference for their support and urge the Assembly and the Governor to reject the New York HEAT Act in this year’s budget,” said Thomas J. Murphy, Vice President,  Power and Construction Group.

“If the HEAT Act passes, the gas coming into your house will be turned off. Everything that runs on gas stops working. This is not an effective plan,” said Senator Alexis Weik.

“The HEAT Act, if enacted, would have devastating consequences for New Yorkers.  The banning of natural gas would drive up utility costs for families and businesses alike, all at a time when these same families and businesses are struggling just to get by. Requiring all New Yorkers to switch to a single source of energy also puts all of us in a dangerous and vulnerable position, such as in a case of a natural disaster or power disruption. Just remember Superstorm Sandy! We must reject these extreme measures and pursue energy policies that prioritize reliability, affordability, and consumer choice,” said Senator Dean Murray. 

“In its current form, the HEAT Act would be devastating for Long Island families, seniors and small businesses who already pay some of the highest energy prices in the nation. It would also increase the cost of new construction—exacerbating the state's housing shortage and place crippling regulations on an economy known for one of the worst business climates in the country. This bill needs an overhaul, so we don't cast catastrophic consequences upon New Yorkers who are already facing an affordability crisis,” said Senator Anthony Palumbo.

“Once again, rather than focusing on affordability and consumer choice, one-party control in Albany is focused on advancing policies that will continue to drive up already out of control utility costs, all while limiting consumers’ options for accessing affordable and reliable heating sources. New Yorkers want their lawmakers to tackle high costs, not to further burden ratepayers with expensive and unrealistic mandates. Our conference will continue to focus on bringing down costs for all New Yorkers,” said Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. 

“The New York Heat Act is a disaster for Long Island. Our communities are in the line of hurricanes in the summer and nor’easters in the winter. Most of our power lines are above ground, so when these storms hit, our electrical lines go down and our power goes out. Unless we have protections in place, people will die. This legislation limits our energy options, threatens the lives of residents and will result in higher energy bills for Long Islanders who are already burdened with absurdly high energy bills,” said Senator Jack M. Martins.

“The HEAT Act is yet another example of Kathy Hochul and Albany telling you that they know how to live your life and run your household better than you do…and they’ll force you to bend to their will by taking away every other option. While paying lip service to affordability, the HEAT act effectively bans safe and dependable Natural Gas and forces nearly every homeowner and business to pay tens of thousands of dollars to convert to electric for heat and hot water. This will drive up utility costs and make New Yorkers fully dependent upon an unreliable and overstressed electrical grid leaving you and your families unprepared. My conference and I will continue to advocate for diverse, clean, and affordable energy options for consumers, ensuring you have the freedom to choose what works best for your home or businesses,” said Senator Steve Rhoads. 

“The HEAT Act is well intentioned but misguided. Banning natural gas is ridiculous. There are serious concerns about electric battery storage in residential communities, and we do not yet have the capacity to generate enough electricity to meet all our energy needs. Perhaps it is time to reconsider all affordable energy options, including nuclear,” said Senator Steve Chan. 

“The governor’s utility hikes in recent years have already inflicted serious pain on New Yorkers. They’re nothing compared to the impact of the NY HEAT Act, a mandate on steroids that would require middle class families and seniors on fixed incomes to spend $50,000 to electrify their homes. As the governor continues to bet big on the energy intensive semiconductor industry, she needs to start acknowledging that reliability is an important part of the equation,” said Senator Jake Ashby.

“The HEAT Act is another example of an unrealistic energy policy that New York residents and businesses cannot afford.  Combined with the Climate Leadership Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which further mandates how residents heat their homes and the kind of cars they drive, the result will be higher costs and fewer choices. This one-size-fits-all approach is unachievable, cost-prohibitive, and unsustainable,” said Senator Patrick Gallivan.

“The HEAT Act is the most extreme example yet of Albany’s reckless obsession with top-down mandates that punish hard working New Yorkers. This bill would strip away affordable energy choices, saddle families with crushing retrofit costs, and wipe out thousands of middle-class jobs in the energy sector. It’s a radical, politically driven agenda that won’t meaningfully impact climate change—but that will make life more expensive and less secure for every New Yorker. We cannot allow working families to become collateral damage in this misguided crusade,” said Senator George Borrello.

“While New Yorkers are struggling with high utility bills, the legislative majorities and governor continue to push an energy agenda that will make the state even more unaffordable. Their plan includes the HEAT Act, which will make it more expensive for residents and families to heat their homes while also effectively banning natural gas, driving up the costs to build new houses and further stressing an already overwhelmed energy infrastructure. The focus should be on lowering energy costs and providing relief – not making things more expensive and more difficult for those who stay here,” said Senator Joe Griffo. 

“At a time when necessities like groceries and housing are increasingly unaffordable for many New Yorkers, Albany must stop the costly mandates that place further and unnecessary strain on household budgets. That includes the NY HEAT Act.  I strongly urge my colleagues to put struggling New Yorkers first and reject the inclusion of the HEAT Act in the finalized budget,” said Senator Pam Helming. 

“The HEAT Act will leave New Yorkers out in the cold. Higher energy bills and $15,000 required home retrofits will do nothing to help the environment and everything to hurt New Yorkers,” said Deputy Leader Andrew Lanza.

“The New York Heat Act is a disaster in the making for the majority of middle-class ratepayers throughout this state. New York is already one of the least affordable and highest taxed states in America. Our state leads the nation in population loss. The Heat Act will only make it all worse. Albany continue to impose unaffordable and unrealistic energy mandates with no concern for their affordability, feasibility, or reliability. They keep reaching deeper and deeper into the pockets of middle-class taxpayers, destroying family budgets, killing local jobs, and weakening local economies with the promise of very minimal or realistic benefits for most New Yorkers,” said Senator Tom O’Mara.

“With New Yorkers already reeling from the coldest–and most expensive–winter in recent memory, Albany is doubling down on their crusade to force every home and business to switch to full electric–an unreliable and unaffordable heating source. The HEAT Act is just another unfunded mandate and our hardworking families are stuck with the bill. No one should have to choose between heating their home, paying the mortgage, or putting food on the table. I stand with my colleagues in strong opposition to the HEAT Act and we will continue fighting for energy policy that protects affordability and consumer choice,” said Senator Peter Oberacker.

“On every issue, Governor Hochul and the Senate leadership have gotten it wrong. The HEAT Act is yet another example of it. The policy eliminates consumer choice, forces unfeasible mandates on homeowners and only further escalates energy costs. We need to do more to expand energy options and reduce costs, not make it harder for our working families. The HEAT Act must not be included in the final state budget,” said Senator Dan Stec. 

“New Yorkers are already facing an affordability crisis. The last thing they can afford is to pay even higher energy  bills to heat and power their homes and businesses because of the Governor and Majorities misguided mandate to go all electric. The governor and majorities should pull the plug on this costly mandate,” said Senator Jim Tedisco.

“I oppose the HEAT Act because it’s yet another attempt by big government to control people’s lives and drive up their electric bills. My constituents have made it clear that they don't want their homes and businesses to be forced to switch to electric and face upwards of $20,000 to $50,000 in new costs mandated by the State of New York. For these reasons and more, I will continue to stand against this misguided legislation,” said Senator Bill Weber.

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