If the East Hampton Town Board adopts a recommendation put to it on Tuesday by its energy and sustainability advisory committee, then by Jan. 1, 2025, all new construction or large renovations in the town will have to be electric throughout. That includes heating and cooling systems, hot water heaters, and stoves. The action is intended to speed the transition from fossil fuels to green renewable energy sources.
With her colleagues Joan McGivern and Francesca Rheannon, Lena Tabori of the committee requested implementation of the All Electric Building Act at the beginning of 2025. The result, she said, would be that “we will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution, which as we probably all know by now is something that we’ve not only set a goal for ourselves within East Hampton almost a decade ago” — the board set a goal in 2014 to meet the equivalent of 100 percent of economy-wide energy consumption with renewable energy sources by 2030 — “but the world is definitely on that same page.”
In 2021, the town board passed a resolution to electrify heating, venting, and air-conditioning, or HVAC, systems in its own municipal buildings.
In its new budget, passed in May, New York became the first state in the nation to ban gas from new construction. That ban will take effect, for buildings shorter than seven stories, in 2026, and for taller buildings in 2029.
The committee’s recommendation, Ms. Tabori said, intentionally calls for a start date one year earlier than the state’s. “It also specifically calls for the town’s building codes to support the electrification of all energy use through the installation of energy-efficient electrical appliances,” she said, such as heat pumps, hot water production, and induction stoves and cooktops.
Electrical appliances produce no on-site carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases, so electrifying appliances reduces indoor air pollution and improves health, she said, noting that children living in residences with gas stoves have been found to be 42 percent more likely to have asthma.
Heat pumps are up to four times more efficient than a traditional boiler or furnace, Ms. Tabori said, to illustrate the committee’s recommendation. Induction stoves and cooktops are both cleaner and more efficient than their fuel-burning predecessors, she added, and buyers may be eligible for federal financial incentives.
Councilwoman Cate Rogers said that it was important to mandate this transition as soon as possible, because the average life span of a heating system, 20 years, is “locking in now the continued use of fossil fuels on your heating and your cooling.”
Councilman David Lys asked whether the town’s electrical grid could handle such an increased demand from electric appliances and heating and cooling systems. LIPA’s study of decarbonization, Ms. Rheannon said, concluded that the utility “is prepared to handle decarbonization in Suffolk County on the scale that we’re talking about . . . and there’s going to be the kind of smart technology to be able to integrate this kind of electrification to the grid in a way that’s actually advantageous” to it.
Mr. Lys later noted that “there is a portion of the town’s business community that does provide oil, propane, and other services for those heating elements.” There should be outreach to them, he said, to ensure they understand that state mandates are coming, and that the town may act even sooner. “They might want to see how it will affect their business long-term.”
The committee and other renewable energy advocates “are always very mindful of a just transition, and not taking something away from someone that they rely on,” Ms. Rogers responded.
A discussion of educating and incentivizing the public to replace fossil-fuel-powered systems as soon as is practicable ensued. Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc noted that the town will soon start receiving annual payments from the developers of the South Fork Wind farm, worth around $29 million over 25 years. “The town will be receiving money that can be used for improving our renewable energy portfolio and to convert and assist our community to become more sustainable,” he said.
“As a member of the committee, we are dying to become a part of those decisions,” Ms. Tabori said, “and the idea that some of them may focus on incentives is genius.”
“I love the idea that the town itself would become one of the sources of support for people who can’t afford otherwise to do this,” Ms. Rogers added.
The board will discuss this, Mr. Van Scoyoc said. “Anytime you can help incentivize people it’s less onerous, less an impact on their bottom line, and it reaps benefits for everyone.”
“I think this is a good first step,” the supervisor added, “but I do think there needs to be a hard look at ways that we could even take it further . . . I think we should look at moving this portion forward but keep an eye on what’s next and how we can continue to expand beyond just new construction to help incentivize upgrades and transition to more efficient, greener, cleaner forms of energy. We know that the housing sector is probably the largest contributor, at this point, within our community in terms of use of fossil fuels, as we already are seeing transitions toward electric vehicles. So it’s a sector that we really need to address.”
“It feels as if the town is completely in the right place with us,” Ms. Tabori said, “and we are encouraged to go
forward.”
