$32 Million to Electrify Cooking Appliances in NYCHA Buildings Through Induction Stove Challenge

Copper to Develop New Class of Induction Stoves and Produce 10,000 Units

November 13, 2025

New York City, N.Y.— The New York Power Authority (NYPA), the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today announced that the next phase of the Induction Stove Challenge  is moving forward following a contract signing with Copper, an appliance manufacturer, as part of a $32 million commitment to develop, pilot and produce 10,000 new energy-efficient induction stoves for use in New York City public housing facilities. The competitive innovation challenge—spearheaded by NYPA, NYCHA and NYSERDA—seeks to replace existing gas stoves to improve air quality in apartments, eliminate service outages and avoid costly gas infrastructure and electrical upgrades in NYCHA buildings. The initiative aims to develop a new class of induction stoves that can be installed in older buildings using standard 120-volt, 20-amp outlets.

Copper will design and produce 100 units for performance evaluation during the challenge’s pilot phase. In July 2024, the NYPA Board of Trustees approved $32 million in short-term financing for the project based on NYCHA’s $30.8 million commitment to purchase additional stoves if the pilot is successful. The product development and pilot phase, supported by $1.2 million in NYSERDA funding, will kick off this month.

The prototype units will be installed in 100 NYCHA apartments—with new cookware provided to each participating household—with the intent of eliminating service outages due to deteriorating gas plumbing, and providing best-in-class, comfortable cooking as well as health and quality of life benefits to NYCHA residents. Copper will work with industry testing and safety standards organizations, such as Underwriter Laboratories, to achieve certification for novel technologies prior to the pilot phase.

Successful testing of the developed product will trigger a large-scale purchase order of up to 10,000 units from NYCHA. The effort will demonstrate to building owners the promise of an affordable conversion to efficient induction cooking, and to manufacturers regarding the potential of a broader residential market for the new induction stove products. This purchase will support dozens of NYCHA buildings, eliminating the need for costly capital investments in gas plumbing infrastructure, and fully electrifying their energy systems and displacing fossil fuel use.

To ensure that the new induction stoves can serve a large, national market, NYSERDA is engaging other states, municipalities and housing providers across North America to generate interest in the results of the challenge. In this way, the challenge will create a pipeline of potential demand from others pursuing cooking electrification, aligning NYCHA’s product specifications with the needs of the broader market. Twelve organizations representing more than 300,000 housing units have already signed up to support the initiative.

NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Through the Induction Stove Challenge, NYPA is collaborating with its partners to develop a new class of cooktops that can operate in buildings where electrical systems would have been otherwise unsupportive—an important innovation on the path to the responsible electrification of buildings. The $32 million in funding support reflects the Power Authority’s commitment to drive innovation and strengthen New York’s rapidly growing clean energy economy.”

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “This investment is a major step in New York’s ongoing collaboration with the manufacturing community to develop and bring to market new technologies that can make residential electrification more affordable. By expanding access to modern, energy-efficient appliances in NYCHA buildings, we are improving quality of life, promoting cleaner indoor air, and helping to lower energy bills for families who need it most.”

NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt said, “The execution of this contract brings us closer to the production and piloting of affordable, energy-efficient induction stoves, which will alleviate the amount of service outages and the need for costly capital investments caused by the deterioration of aging gas plumbing infrastructure in our properties. We thank Governor Hochul, and our partners at NYPA and NYSERDA, for their partnership in this innovation challenge, and look forward to employing these new stoves to improve the quality of life for many NYCHA residents while catalyzing uptake of this product in the broader residential market.”

Copper CEO and Co-Founder Sam Calisch said, “Copper is proud to partner with New York on a project that puts residents first. Together, we’re showing how clean technology can create healthier homes, avoid costly upgrades to aging gas infrastructure, and strengthen the city’s electric grid. Governor Hochul and the State of New York are demonstrating real leadership in accelerating this shift to cleaner, more resilient energy solutions. We share in that vision and are honored to serve the people of New York as we work to build a cleaner, safer future.”

Senator Kevin S. Parker, Chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee said, “The partnership between NYPA, NYCHA, and NYSERDA represents real progress toward our state’s clean energy and public health goals. By electrifying cooking in NYCHA buildings, we are addressing decades-old infrastructure issues, improving indoor air quality, and reducing harmful emissions all while lowering long-term costs for residents. This initiative shows how smart investment and innovation can deliver immediate benefits for working families and move New York closer to a fully decarbonized, equitable energy future. The State Legislature has worked tirelessly to advance policies and secure funding that make projects like this possible, ensuring that the transition to clean energy reaches every corner of our state and every household that calls New York home.”

The challenge is modeled after another successful state-city partnership, the Clean Heat for All Challenge , in which NYCHA, NYPA and NYSERDA invited manufacturers to develop and produce a new electrification product to better serve multifamily buildings’ heating and cooling needs, reduce capital investment required to renovate and maintain existing heating systems, and hasten the transition to fossil-free heating sources at NYCHA campuses.

About NYPA

The New York Power Authority is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 17 generating facilities and more than 1,550 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov  and follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , Substack , and LinkedIn .

NYSERDA

Since 1975, NYSERDA has been working to advance New York’s energy system and economy. As a public benefit corporation, NYSERDA has served as an objective source for information and technical expertise to drive innovation and investment. NYSERDA professionals have worked for the past 50 years to protect the environment and help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov .

NYCHA

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1934 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 520,808 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.

About Copper 

Copper designs and builds beautiful, high-performance appliances that make electrification the obvious choice. Based in Berkeley, California, Copper’s first product is an award-winning , battery-equipped induction stove that plugs into a regular 120V outlet, enabling cooks to easily upgrade from gas to induction without costly, complex electrical upgrades. New York Times’ Wirecutter calls this technology “the holy grail of induction .”  To learn more, visit www.copperhome.com .