As the 2025 Legislative Session came to a close on June 18, an act to repeal the ‘100-foot rule’ successfully passed in both houses and is now awaiting action by Governor Hochul. The 100-foot rule was initially in place to mandate ‘free’ gas hookups for new residential customers if their building was within 100 feet of an existing gas pipeline. Despite being marketed as a ‘free’ service, such connections are added to collective energy bills in the form of “delivery costs.”
Eliminating the 100-foot rule – a costly subsidy that forced utility ratepayers to fund the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure – would save customers over $200 million annually. This act wouldn’t prohibit new gas hookups, but it would stop forcing other customers to foot the bill and cover the costs. It’s “a victory for New York consumers and the environment,” NYLCV President Julie Tighe said.
The 40-year-old law was originally enacted to encourage consumers to stray away from using oil and coal as heat sources, opting for natural gas instead, since it is a cleaner energy source than other fossil fuels. As the climate crisis has grown and New York has made progress in reducing use of dirtier fossil fuels like coal and oil, there is an increased focus on the role that natural gas plays in climate change and air pollution. Governor Hochul signing the repeal of the 100-foot rule into law would mark a significant step away from natural gas and one towards a clean energy economy.
“This change means that you, as a New Yorker paying your monthly utility bill, are no longer paying to expand a system that’s locking us into higher costs and more air pollution. Instead, resources can now be focused where they belong: on helping families upgrade to efficient, electric heating and appliances that cost less to operate, improve indoor air quality, and reduce pollution,” wrote Julie Tighe and Lisa Dix in their joint Empire Report op-ed.
Shortly after the passage of the bill, the NYLCV and the Building Decarbonization Coalition held a press conference, joining together to urge Governor Hochul to sign the measure.
Jon Furlong, Clean Buildings Campaign Manager for NYLCV, emphasized how “repealing it is common sense… it saves money and protects ratepayers instead of gas utilities.” The press conference stressed the importance of enacting this measure now, and with “dangerous heat bearing down on New York, we’re reminded once again that the climate crisis isn’t in the future – it’s happening now,” said Furlong.
NYLCV and the Building Decarbonization Coalition recently launched a five-figure advertising campaign to thank climate champions in the legislature – including Assembly Majority Speaker Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Assemblymembers Ed Braunstein, Didi Barrett, Pamela Hunter, Jon Rivera, and Karen McMahon – for advocating for the repeal of the costly 100-foot rule.
NYLCV thanks Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon for leading the charge by sponsoring this measure, along with our partners in the Building Decarbonization Coalition, the Alliance for a Green Economy, New Yorkers for Clean Power, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Rewiring America, Earthjustice, the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club, and too many other environmental advocates to count for their advocacy
We encourage you to thank your legislators for passing the measure and moving our state closer to a clean energy future, and please join us in urging Governor Hochul to sign the bill and enact it into law, taking the critical step toward making energy-efficient, all-electric homes more affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers.
Lily Hirschson, an undergraduate intern at the New York League of Conservation Voters since June 2025, is a second-year student at Skidmore College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and International Affairs.