Description
Municipalities should enact an ordinance to prohibit new “gasoline stations” and the installation of additional gasoline pumps at any location. As electrification of all sectors of New York’s economy kicks into high gear, the economics will favor non-fossil fuels. As the community’s vehicle fleet transitions to electric vehicles, this action will prevent businesses and municipalities from having to cope with additional stranded assets.
Implementation Phases
This action could be fully implemented today.
Challenges
An exception is needed for existing facilities that refill small propane tanks for gas grills.
Need to coordinate and support the local businesses that have this service as a mainstay for their operation.
Example Municipalities
Several municipalities have already implemented this action…
- Petaluma, California voted to prohibit any new gas stations from being built within its city. It also stipulates that existing gas stations cannot add new gas pumps but can install EV charging stations.
- Following Petaluma’s lead, many more municipalities within the region, Sonoma County, are following in their footsteps, such as Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, are currently drafting and submitting their own ordinances in order to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reductions
This strategy has no impact on carbon emissions because drivers use existing gas stations.
Climate Smart Communities (CSC) & Clean Energy Communities (CEC) Link
No direct counterpart exists for this action within the CSC and CEC frameworks.
Co-benefits
There are multiple co-benefits to completing this action, including:
- Improvement in air quality.
- Accelerated transition to electric vehicles.
- Reduces risks of fuels spills and fuel delivery truck traffic.
Resources
Petaluma, a Northern California city, has banned all new gas stations in an effort to curb carbon emissions. The Petaluma City Council voted to prohibit the creation, expansion, reconstruction and relocation of gas stations, encouraging owners of gas stations to convert their facilities into ones that serve electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-city-bans-new-gas-stations/
https://petaluma.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=31&clip_id=3218&meta_id=483708
https://www.axios.com/cities-ban-gas-pollution-fb61cf2f-9893-466f-9559-9c4d27bbc3b6.html
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wzc8L0vq1tmJDfWT5xFdS8T7SxihzhG
g9ZYTj4q7buI/edit