New York State and It’s Climate Control Rule-making Changes

Given its massive global warming potential, the world of SF₆ gas use is constantly changing and many states are taking action by putting in place new laws and parameters. Recently, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposed a new regulation, 6 NYCRR Part 495, in an effort to minimize the use of SF₆ among gas-insulated equipment (GIE) commonly utilized by the electrical industry. This Part applies to any person who owns, installs, and/or uses GIE that utilizes SF₆ or substitutes as an insulating medium. The yearly reporting obligations pertain to GIE owners whose annual emissions of covered insulating gas exceed 7,500 metric tons CO2e based on a GWP20 measurement.

The proposed regulation entails gradually discontinuing the installation of new SF₆ Gas GIE, setting emission limits for GIE owners, imposing restrictions on SF₆ usage, and mandating reporting obligations for specific users and suppliers of SF₆ and other fluorinated greenhouse gases. Below, we highlight certain sections of the regulations to better help electrical sectors understand what they can expect in the coming future.

SF₆ Phase-Out

The proposed rules closely follow the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation, though the phase-out effective date for lower voltages is January of 2026 as opposed to 2025 with CARB.

• All SF₆ use and GIE must be phased-out
  • The phase-out timelines are as follows:

• Equipment currently in use is excluded from the phase-out requirements.
• Requests for exemptions regarding the use of SF₆ will undergo individual evaluation.
• Grid service and reliability take precedence.

Registering Existing Equipment

• Registration will take place within the initial year after the regulation is enacted.
• Entities are required to report only Gas Insulated Equipment (GIE) that utilizes the specified insulating gas, which includes hermetically sealed devices.
• Reporting is mandatory for all containers and carts, regardless of ownership or storage location, including those that are empty.
• Reporting required for all Gas Insulated Equipment (GIE) owned for any duration throughout the year, irrespective of operational status.
• New equipment registrations will also be reported

Reporting Gases

• Covered Insulating Gases to be reported in pounds and metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e)
• Entities with GIE emissions of 7,500 MTCO2e or more will be reported annually
• Only report insulating gases within gas blend

Exemptions

• No reporting is necessary when employing fluorinated gas blends with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) below 1.
• Dry Air/Vacuum technology GIE does not need to be reported.
• Utility with emissions <7,500 MTCO2e

Phase-Out Exemptions

The DEC will consider requests for exemption to allow for the use of new SF₆ GIE for the following reasons:

• Emergency Event Exemption
• Ultra-high kV special use
• The non-SF₆ GIE characteristics are not met by at least two OEM suppliers
• The non-SF₆ GIE does not meet the dimensions of the footprint available
• The non-SF₆ GIE is incompatible with the technical specifications required for use

On March 14^th, the New York DEC held a public hearing for the proposed Part 495 via webinar. DILO Company and other stakeholders commented during the public hearing. Both the DILO and NEMA SF₆ and Alternatives Coalition comments are linked below.

DILO Feedback

NEMA Feedback

DILO will continue to post updates as they come, but if you have any further questions on these new regulations and how they might impact your equipment use, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team here.