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Senate advances statewide ban on No. 4 heating oil after floor debate about costs and transitions
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Summary
The Senate passed a bill to prohibit No. 4 heating oil statewide, prompting questions on how many buildings use the fuel, transition costs, and the availability of state programs (EMPower Plus) to help property owners switch to cleaner fuels or technologies.
The New York State Senate on April 20 advanced a bill to ban No. 4 heating oil statewide, with sponsors saying the measure will protect public health and critics warning it could impose costs on owners of older boilers.
Senator Harcombe, the bill’s sponsor, said the fuel is a harmful legacy pollutant and that cleaner alternatives — including No. 2 fuel oil, biodiesel and heat pumps — are available. When pressed by Senator Martins and others about how many buildings remain on No. 4 fuel, Harcombe said there is not an exact statewide count; he told the chamber that New York City previously counted about 3,200–3,300 buildings and that the fuel still appears in parts of Western New York.
Opponents asked whether the bill includes transition funding and implementation timelines; Harcombe and supporters pointed to existing programs such as EMPower Plus that provide state support for heat pump and efficiency upgrades. Senators also argued about enforcing local prohibitions already in place in places such as New York City and Westchester County and whether some regions would face repetitive retrofits because of factors like saltwater corrosion.
After floor debate and technical questions about enforcement, effective dates and alternatives for property owners who cannot afford equipment retrofits, the Senate restored the measure to the noncontroversial calendar and the clerk announced the roll call. The bill passed on the floor (roll calls and results were announced during the calendar reading). Supporters framed the measure as a public-health step that reduces emissions in communities exposed to older heating systems; opponents urged that the state ensure adequate funding, exemptions or phased compliance so households and small landlords do not lose heat during winter.
The sponsor and colleagues said they will continue work with agencies and programs to help affected buildings transition and pointed senators to state resources intended to offset retrofit costs.
