Los neoyorquinos están divididos sobre el tema de la prohibición de las estufas de gas, ya que la gobernadora Kathy Hochul sigue adelante con los planes para restringir los electrodomésticos que queman combustibles fósiles en los nuevos edificios, según una nueva encuesta.
La encuesta de Siena College, publicada el lunes, encontró que el 40% de los votantes apoya el requisito recientemente aprobado por el estado de que los edificios nuevos de menos de siete pisos sean de cero emisiones a partir de 2026 y los edificios más grandes tres años después, mientras que el 39% se opone.
Los encuestadores revelaron profundas divisiones a lo largo de las líneas partidarias sobre los cambios, incluidos en el presupuesto estatal de $229 mil millones, que prohibirá efectivamente la calefacción de propano, los hornos de gas o las estufas en construcciones nuevas.
he survey of 800 respondents between March 19-22 found Democrats are more likely to support the changes by a margin of 57% to 21%. Republicans, however, called the changes «bad» for the state, 66% to 19%, according to the poll. A plurality of independent voters, 49% to 26%, also opposed the new policy, pollsters said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed for the changes as part of her budget proposal, arguing the move would improve public health and reduce the state’s carbon footprint.
New York is among a small handful of states, including California and Washington state, that have taken steps to prohibit gas appliances as part of climate change policies. But New York is the first state to do so by passing legislation specifically banning fossil fuel appliances.
Republican lawmakers and conservative groups have criticized banning gas stoves as government overreach. They argue it penalizes consumers while doing little to blunt the impacts of climate change.
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, said the proposed ban «has no basis in reality and will only drive up energy costs for millions of New York families.»
Critics have also questioned the legality of gas stove bans, citing a recent federal Court of Appeals ruling that shot down a similar measure enacted by the city of Berkley, California, prohibiting gas hookups in new buildings. The three-judge panel ruled the city’s regulation is preempted by federal law.
More than 61% of American households used natural gas for either space heating, water heating or cooking in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
