Lana Bellamy reports in the Times Union that on March 20 the city of Beacon became the third municipality in New York to pass legislation to prohibit the use of natural gas in nearly all newly constructed buildings and major renovations. The new rule, passed unanimously, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Emergency backup power, manufactured homes, municipal sewer and water facilities, and buildings designated for occupancy by a manufacturing facility, commercial food establishments, laboratories, laundromats, crematoriums, hospitals or other medical facilities are exempt, as is any project approved by the Planning Board before June 30, 2023. A hardship exemption with the Zoning Board is sometimes possible. Councilman Dan Aymar-Blair said in a statement, that, "Beacon's emissions will only go down from here.... We should all be proud of the moment; we turned the ship." A statewide version of this bill, the "all-electric building act," is currently in the state Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee. Read more about this story in the Times Union.