A widening clash over gas stoves and other fossil fuel appliances has ignited in statehouses across the country as Democratic lawmakers pursue more aggressive climate policies.
On one side, environmentalists and left-leaning legislators have championed new construction rules that require homes and other buildings to run off electricity only, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
On the other side, fossil fuel companies, business groups and Republican legislators have moved quickly to pass laws that bar local governments from establishing such regulations, which they say will limit consumer choice, raise utility bills and jeopardize existing jobs.
The fight has created a patchwork of energy rules across the country. New York this week is expected to become the first state to mandate electrification in new buildings by law. Since 2019, Washington state and roughly 90 local governments also have moved to phase out natural gas and other fossil fuels in many new structures, according to the Building Decarbonization Coalition, which advocates for state electrification policies.
