The specifics differ, but Democratic state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul are backing the same goal of ending the use of fossil fuels like natural gas in new residential and commercial construction.

The competing plans, advancing to the same goal on different timetables and sizes of buildings, are being considered as lawmakers and Hochul negotiate a $227 billion state budget this month. 

Democratic lawmakers and advocates want the measure as a way to help the state curtail the effects of climate change, the release of carbon emissions into the environment and advance the broad-based goals of a law meant to shift New York to cleaner and more renewable forms of energy in the coming decades. 

Republicans as well as some utilities have warned of the effect of the plan on ratepayers and whether the state is not rushing head long into a plan that could prove disruptive. 

Regardless, supporters of the goal are excited by the signal from the Legislature and the governor to get a potential agreement in the state budget. At the same time, they argue the move will save New Yorkers money in the long run with cleaner forms of fuel powering homes and commercial buildings. 

"It seems like we're on the precipice of getting this done," said Liz Moran, the New York policy advocate at Earthjustice. 

Hochul's all-electric rule would take effect in 2026. Senate Democrats want a year earlier. The Senate plan would include buildings of seven stories or less; Hochul is eyeing structures of three stories or less. Both plans would remove hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon from the environment. 

"That's nothing to scoff at when it comes to making sure we aren't adding to the problem and on the right timeline to adhering to our climate law mandates and greenhouse gas goals," Moran said. 

Democratic state Sen. Brian Kavanagh expects his chamber's faster timeline can be accomplished as New York could potentially also move ahead with the goal of 800,000 new units of housing in the next 10 years. 

"It is very feasible all over the state to build efficient, highly livable homes and businesses that are all electric," he said. 

This change would not affect existing homes and businesses. But Kavanagh acknowledges there will be future complications when gas-powered appliances like stoves are phased out as well. 

"The trickier questions are going to have to come when we have to switch our boilers and stoves and other things, but there is no mandate in this bill about any existing structure," he said. 

It's also faced some political backlash. 

A Siena College poll last month found a majority of New York voters opposed the phase-out of appliances like gas stoves in new construction. Hochul released subsequent amendments to her budget that clarified existing appliances would not be affected. 

Still, Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt warn move will lead to energy instability as well as added costs for home builders. 

"This is not going to do anything to make peoples' utilities bills less; it's also not going to do anything to make energy more reliable," he said.

Republican state Sen. Pat Gallivan has called for an approach that uses a variety of energy sources to ease the potential effect on utility bills. 

"We all have responsibility to be good stewards of the environment, but what we have now is the proverbial cart before the horse," he said. 

Gallivan worries the current plans add too much worry for New Yorkers already dealing with spiking energy costs. 

"It can only come off the backs of New Yorkers, whether they use gas or whether they use electric," he said. "And what we have right now before us now is a great big question mark looming over us about the uncertainty of the future and ensuring all of us have power."