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 14th, 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 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.