New York, NY – This morning, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality alert for the NYC Metro area – not caused by Canadian wildfires or Fourth of July fireworks, but by pollution from power plants and gas-powered cars trapped in hot, stagnant air. On top of poor air quality, temperatures in New York City will reach 90 degrees today, adding to the danger for sensitive groups.

This heat wave is the first to hit New York City residents since the state legislature left Albany with climate bills still on the table, failing to pass legislation like the NY HEAT Act that would move off the fossil fuels supercharging the climate crisis and health-harming pollution.

Food & Water Watch Senior New York Organizer Laura Shindell issued the following statement:

“It’s only early July, and New Yorkers are already choking through our third round of dangerous air quality this summer. Meanwhile, July 4 was Earth’s hottest day ever on record. Every day brings new apocalyptic weather thanks to fossil fuel-generated climate change. Without action on the fossil fuels driving this crisis, things will only get more dangerous and more expensive. Low-income New Yorkers – who are more likely to have asthma or other respiratory conditions but can’t afford to stay indoors running air conditioners and air purifiers all day – will suffer the most. Albany leadership left the most vulnerable New Yorkers to suffer through a hot, broke summer; they must commit to passing NY HEAT now.”

The NY HEAT Act would ensure an affordable transition off fossil fuels by 1) stopping the expansion of the dirty, toxic gas system and 2) reducing utility bills by eliminating gas subsidies and capping energy bills at 6% for low- and middle- income families, saving up to $75 per month. These households are the most impacted by volatile gas prices and high energy bills, paying three times more of their income on energy bills than other families.

The final budget included the first-in-the-nation All-Electric Building Act, which will require new buildings in New York to use efficient electric heating and appliances starting in 2026. But the work to clean up our buildings and save New York families money is not complete without NY HEAT. This bill would lay the legal and regulatory foundation for an affordable transition off gas as delineated in the state’s Climate Action Scoping Plan. To reach New York’s climate goals, and dramatically reduce air pollution, the state needs to electrify most buildings by 2050.