Thread by @RenewablHeatNow

The NYS Assembly hearing on All-Electric Buildings is about to begin!

Burning fossil fuels in buildings is New York's largest source of emissions. It's killing us and our planet.

It's time to stop expanding gas and build #RenewableHeatNow!

Tune in here: nyassembly.gov/av/live/

"Energy efficiency and electric heat pumps show strong promise for energy cost savings.

NYSERDA is also supporting 4 dozen feasibility studies on geothermal district heating systems. The community model will help underserved neighborhoods and holds strong promise for job growth"

"We see all-electric buildings in new construction not only as feasible, but affordable, and as an important starting point to achieve our climate goals.

We also see appliance standards and benchmarking as necessary." - @Doreen_M_Harris, President & CEO of NYSERDA

@Doreen_M_Harris @NYSERDA feels confident that existing grid capacity can handle New York's building electrification goals on the proposed timeline.

It's time to pass the All-Electric Building Act!

#RenewableHeatNow

@NYSERDA confirms that heat pumps work in cold climates.

"We have experienced their efficacy in cold climates, not only in New York, but in the state of Maine.

In cold Nordic countries, we see heat pump utilization in 40-60% of homes." - @Doreen_M_Harris

Many legislators are claiming that electrifying existing homes will be too expensive.

But the All-Electric Building Act only applies to NEW buildings, and many studies have found that new all-electric buildings are MORE affordable to build than fossil fueled buildings are.

#RenewableHeatNow champion @BurdickAD93 asks how heat pumps and geothermal take pressure off of the grid.

"Heat pumps are very efficient and use less electricity than air conditioners to cool buildings in the summer.

A community thermal network would be even more efficient!"

@mjsimpson22 asks about backup heating options for when the power goes out.

ALL modern heating systems can't operate without power, whether they're fossil fueled or not.

Many homes could continue using wood stoves, batteries, or generators as a backup heating source.

"Gas is not a solution or a bridge fuel. It is the biggest roadblock to decarbonizing our economy.

NY has calculated that a typical home heating with gas produces $15,000 of climate damage over the life of the furnace." - Bill Nowak, @NYGE0

"We're already in a deep hole relative to climate change, and building new fossil fuel buildings is taking us lower.

It's easiest to design for decarbonization when starting with a new building.

We need to get this most simple step with new buildings right." - Bill Nowak

"The average cost to build a house in NY is around $290,000.

A single-family home with air-source heat pumps is at least $7,500 CHEAPER to construct than a home using gas appliances." - Bill Nowak

#AllElectricBuildings will save our planet AND save us money!

"We feel the timeline for requiring that buildings up to 6 stories be all-electric starting in 2024 is appropriate.

We've been polling members of @NYGE0, and they feel they can handle that level of work.

If we're to meet our climate goals, we can't delay." - Bill Nowak

National Fuel claims that hydrogen can flow through the existing gas system.

This isn't true.

Hydrogen degrades steel pipes and appliances, and even the gas industry admits they could only safely blend up to 20% hydrogen into the gas system - that's not enough to decarbonize.

@SteveEngles says the climate crisis is serious, and asks what we need the legislature to do to decarbonize our buildings.

Bill Nowak says the legislature must pass the #RenewableHeatNow package this session!

bit.ly/RHNpackage

National Fuel is pushing an "all-of-the-above" energy approach.

But we can't rely on theoretical false solutions like hydrogen and "renewable" natural gas which we already know are too expensive and infeasible for decarbonizing heating on any large scale.

https://twitter.com/janrosenow/status/1448955118490116104?s=20&t=joScotU6ubj2pR44eX923g

"Renewable natural gas (RNG) is an expensive source of methane, and if we fully exploited all of the RNG in New York, it would only be enough to replace 3-4% of our gas use.

So let's not be misled by that as an energy future.

Heat pumps work in cold climates" - @howarth_cornell

"Our existing gas infrastructure cannot take more than 5-20% hydrogen blended into it.

To do more than that, everyone would have to replace their current appliances. Their stoves and furnaces wouldn't work.

It would be extraordinarily expensive and inefficient." - Bob Howarth

"Green hydrogen has a role to play, but it's not for heating, cooking, or combustion in power plants.

It should be used for energy storage in fuel cells.

It's not the solution that some would have you believe." - @pmiwanowicz, @greenwatchdogNY

👉bit.ly/falsesolutions

Legislators are fearmongering about the affordability of all-electric buildings, but fossil fuel prices are spiking.

"Fossil fuel prices are extremely volatile, and they're crushing people right now.

The all-electric future is a more predictable future." - @howarth_cornell

"Do you feel climate change is an existential threat to the US?" - AM Smullen

"Yes.

Agricultural food production is already 20% lower than it would be without climate disruption.

When we hit 1.5 degrees, there's a real possibility of runaway climate catastrophe." - Bob Howarth

"We're not going too fast on climate action - we're going too slow.

We have 7.5 years left to meet our climate targets.

Climate change is an existential threat to humanity. The impacts are here and now, and many people are already dying prematurely." - @pmiwanowicz

"If we really care about costs, we should remove the $350M in subsidies we give the gas industry and give them to families to convert to heat pumps.

What's the cost of NOT doing this?" - @annakelles

Hundreds of billions in climate damage, high energy bills, and health impacts!

"It would cost MORE to transition to a fully hydrogen system than an all-electric system." - @annakelles

Thank you for fighting against false solutions and for real, proven, affordable solutions like heat pumps!

Hydrogen is a #FalseSolution:

- It's expensive and inefficient. It uses 3x more renewable energy than heat pumps

- It leaks out of pipes at an even greater rate than methane

- It causes harmful NOx pollution

- It embrittles steel pipes

- It's explosive and hard to store

"There's no reason not to pass the All-Electric Building Act now. The technology is here, and the urgency to act has been here.

If we don't do this now, New York stands to lose a lot, including not meeting our climate mandates and continued harms to public health." -@LizAGMoran

"The IPCC report said emissions must peak by 2025, meaning fossil fuels must be phased out starting now.

We've heard a lot about costs.

The cost of climate inaction exceeds $80B, the cost of health impacts in NY is >$21B/year, and the cost of fossil fuel subsidies is $1B/year."

"NYISO says there is adequate energy supply through 2031 for building electrification.

All-electric homes are up to $8,000 cheaper to build than a non-electric home.

Heat pumps work in the cold, and have been successfully tested in Minnesota and the Arctic Circle." - Anne Rabe

"@GretaThunberg said our civilization is being sacrificed so a small number of people can make enormous amounts of money.

We can no longer afford to make decisions based on short-term profits and short-term political terms of office.

We must act now." - Anne Rabe, @NYPIRG

IBEW claims that the All-Electric Building Act would require every New Yorker to convert their homes to heat pumps and electric appliances.

This isn't true - the bill only applies to new construction.

New all-electric buildings are more affordable than fossil fueled buildings!

"We support building public thermal energy networks for a just transition for gas utility workers." -John Murphy, UA

Geothermal district heating systems are a great opportunity for a #JustTransition because they require the same pipe installation skills gas workers already have!

"We investigated gas industry disinformation campaigns targeting citizens and elected officials.

They fearmonger about increased costs and grid reliability.

Many of these talking points are inaccurate, and often the opposite is true." - @gptnshl
👉bit.ly/GaslightNY

"Cold climate heat pumps use 2-4x less energy than gas furnaces.

Heat pumps will actually help reduce electric delivery rates because they will reduce strain on the grid in the summer." - @gptnshl

"In small buildings, indoor pollution from burning gas is often 4x higher than the outdoor legal limits on the same pollutants!

Washington state became the first state to mandate all-electric new construction. Their timeline for large buildings is 4 years sooner than NY's."

"@RMI's study found it costs $3,000 less to build a new all-electric home than a mixed-fuel building.

@rewiringamerica found that heat pumps for heating or hot water would also save the average household $500/year on their utility bills." - @leahstokes

drive.google.com/file/d/1zbWf8V…

"If we have gas stoves in our homes, it increases the risk of childhood asthma by 42%.

Gas appliances are leaking in our homes even when they're turned off, and gas contains carcinogens like benzene and formaldehyde." - @leahstokes
npr.org/2022/01/27/107…

"The fact is, we're already building all-electric buildings.

The technology is affordable, reliable, and accessible.

We just need your leadership to scale it up." - Jon Pope, @fwaction and Jon Pope Construction

"Participants in our study are excited for electrification.

One woman had to go to the hospital after a gas leak in her apartment.

The gas industry sold methane as a clean fuel source, all while poisoning people in their homes."-Annie Carforo, @weact4ej
thecity.nyc/environment/20…

"The heat pump installers we work with have told us it's easier and less costly to build new buildings specifically for heat pumps from the get-go.

Gas has tripled in cost since January!

Heat pumps routinely cut heating costs in half, compared to oil and propane." - @AvniPravin

"I agree with Mr. Murphy that thermal energy networks are a great opportunity to make renewable heating affordable at utility scale while relying on the utility workforce.

The Gas Transition and Affordable Energy Act (A9329) would start a process to enable them!" - @AvniPravin

"We design multifamily and commercial buildings, and we have not designed a single fossil fuel heated building in the last 5 years!

It has guaranteed lower construction costs, equal or lower energy costs, no annual boiler inspections, and no risk of death from CO or explosions."

"We've had tremendous impact locally helping people switch to heat pumps through @HeatSmartTmpkns.

But programs like our aren't sufficient to bring building electrification to scale at the pace needed to meet NY's climate goals."-@LisaMEarthMama

We need bit.ly/RHNpackage

"It is insane if you do not pass this bill right now. The world is on fire. The CLCPA is not going to be achieved.

If you can't do this low-hanging fruit, what are we here for?

The UN is telling us it's now or never. There are floods, fires, and hurricanes." - @PeteSikora1

"This has no extra costs. It's practical and feasible right now.

The blackout argument is ridiculous - oil and gas boilers don't work in blackouts either!

You can't listen to oil and gas industry propaganda, the lobbyists, the phony trash they're circulating here."-@PeteSikora1

"Don't wait, we're begging you. We need @CarlHeastie to move the All-Electric Building Act and the Assembly needs to act.

The Senate put it in their one-house budget.

If you don't pass this bill now, we lock more new buildings into fossil fuels." - @PeteSikora1, @nychange

"Whatever is in our air, food, and water becomes part of your body.

Public health impacts are why we banned fracking.

The next logical step is to end the practice of burning fracked gas in our homes (which also harms our health), starting with new construction." -@ssteingraber1

"Gas furnaces, stoves, and water heaters are essentially tailpipes that turn our homes into garages."

Emissions include:
NOx - linked with asthma
PM 2.5 - contributes to heart attacks and strokes
Formaldehyde - causes cancer
Carbon monoxide - silent killer
Methane - pollutes air

"New construction is naturally incremental, so we can start today.

The All-Electric Building Act also already has phase-in requirements for larger buildings, and limited exemptions for feasibility where needed." - @chrishalfnight, @UrbanGreen

"The damaging effects of tobacco and lead were well known many decades before meaningful policies were enacted to address their harms.

Why? Because of industry disinformation and obstructionism.

The fossil fuel industry is using the same tactics to mislead us." - Deepa Prasad

"They're trying to convince you we're moving too fast.

They're scare-mongering to make it sound as if jobs will be abruptly wiped out, which is false.

If they really cared about energy workers, they would fund workforce development programs instead of TV ads." - Deepa Prasad

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The cost of inaction is far higher than the cost of taking swift and decisive action on climate change.

It's long overdue that we treat the climate crisis like the emergency it is." - Deepa Prasad

Pass #AllElectricBuildings now!

"Gas is not a bridge fuel, and it's not natural or clean.

In NYC it costs $13,859 to hook up a new customer to the gas system.

That comes off the backs of ratepayers in our bills." - @leemzee, @SaneEnergy

Let's end that gas hookup subsidy with bit.ly/RHNpackage!

"We're paying to still go in the wrong direction. That will happen until we have a set timeline. National Grid is predicting an increase in gas growth until 2035.

We support the All-Electric Building Act because it's based on the non-negotiable timeline of climate science." -Lee

"Nearly 40% of all new residential units in the US are electric.

In NY, >100,000 heat pumps were sold in 2020, up nearly 70% since 2017.

Last week the Mayor of Montreal announced all-electric new construction starting in 2024 for small buildings and 2025 for large buildings."

"NYS has 50,000 new homes built each year. That's a new home every 10 minutes. The cheapest time to electrify a home is when it is first built.

All-electric buildings are affordable because they have a single piece of equipment that can provide both heating and cooling."

"I insulated my home and installed a heat pump, heat pump water heater, and solar panels.

My heat pump keeps me more comfortable than my gas furnace did. My air quality improved.

I want this to be required so I don't have to spend time convincing clients this is a good idea."

"Some days my solar panels produce more power than the heat pump uses.

The cellulose insulating my home is recycled and made originally from trees. All the carbon they stored won't be released.

We need to consider more ways buildings can be a carbon sink, not a carbon emitter."

"The gas companies opposing the All-Electric Building Act and Gas Transition and Affordable Energy Act are wasting their time protecting their current shrinking business.

They should be taking up opportunities to transform their business with district geothermal systems."

"The IPCC warnings about cutting emissions immediately are urgent, and we ignore them at our peril.

My husband and I put solar panels on our roof. It cost about the same as the $20,000 that FEMA gave us to pay for the damage Sandy caused to our basement." - Margot Spindelman

"Unions should be working with decision-makers to ensure a robust union presence in all new jobs and ensuring skills are upgraded to meet new challenges.

If unions ignore the inevitable for the sake of propping up the disintegrating status quo, workers will be left behind."