State Senate Republicans are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to reject legislation that would eliminate New York’s “100-foot rule” for natural gas service, warning it could burden homeowners and strain the electric grid.
Senator Tom O’Mara and fellow Republicans on the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee sent a letter Thursday urging the veto of S8417/A8888, a bill passed in the final hours of the legislative session.
Under the current law, utilities must cover the cost of new gas service connections within 100 feet of an existing main. The new measure would shift those costs—estimated between $2,500 and $10,000 per building—to consumers.
“This proposed action would be the latest addition to a disaster in the making,” O’Mara said. “Governor Hochul should immediately veto it.”
The letter also cited concerns from the New York Independent System Operator, which warned that eliminating the 100-foot rule could accelerate reliance on an already strained electric grid.
Senate Republicans wrote, “Policies that undermine affordability and energy security, especially for working families, will only erode public confidence and deepen economic challenges.”
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