Dive Brief:
- New York City has launched a free, concierge-style service to help building operators comply with Local Law 97, NYC Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung announced Tuesday.
- The tool is intended to give building operators a resource to plan retrofits, map out Local Law 97 compliance and estimate penalties and what emissions reductions are needed to meet targets, according to a release by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. The accelerator service, called Momentum, is available to help operators modernize their buildings, reduce climate impact and improve occupant quality of life, the MOCEJ says.
- “In the first reporting year for Local Law 97, well over 90 percent of buildings submitted compliance reports,” NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said in a statement. “This high level of compliance reflects the City’s efforts to provide support.”
Dive Insight:
Buildings are responsible for nearly 70% of New York City’s emissions, MOCEJ said in its release. New York City enforces building energy standards through Local Law 97, which requires owners to reduce their building emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050 or face fines. Penalties can reach up to $268 for every ton of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted above an annual allowance.
The ordinance applies to buildings over 25,000 gross square feet; two or more buildings on the same tax lot that together exceed 50,000 square feet; or two or more condominium buildings governed by the same board that together exceed 50,000 square feet. Owners of covered buildings must submit an annual energy and water use report or request a 120-day extension by June 30. Reporting and compliance deadlines depend on property type and size.
An analysis by the Urban Green Council also found a roughly 90% compliance rate among large buildings at the end of 2024. Compliance will likely get harder going forward; the emissions limits for the 2030-2034 compliance window are significantly lower than what will follow, UGC says.
MOCEJ’s NYC Accelerator program is a partnership between the Department of Buildings, Housing Preservation and Development, and the Department of Environmental Protection. The program is primarily implemented by Willdan, a private engineering and energy management consulting company, according to the release.
The city says it’s enhancing the program to include resilience planning integrations; expanded workforce development programming; support for building owners participating in the city’s voluntary Carbon Challenge; and more help on financing options and program delivery.
“The NYC Accelerator [helps] cut through red tape,” Yeung said. “We are excited to unveil these new, free resources for buildings across the five boroughs.”
The program provides a dedicated call center and referral service for all buildings, according to the city. Digital resources include an enhanced website, user portal for owners and service providers, a decarbonization action-planning tool and a searchable case study library. There’s also a training portal with guides, videos, webinars and courses.
Although LL97 is a New York City requirement, building operators outside the city can benefit by acquainting themselves with it, according to Craig Walter, principal energy advisor at ENGIE Impact, which partners with organizations on building decarbonization efforts.
Jurisdictions throughout the country are adopting building performance standards, so understanding how a major city is handling their process can be helpful. “You’re going to be better if you start early, especially if you need to implement some [improvements],” he said. “Delaying it [could put you] in a situation where what was a three-year payback a year or two ago, now that everyone’s in the market needing stuff, now that’s a four- or five-year payback.
Many jurisdictions have early adopter incentives, he said. “If you come into compliance a year in advance, there’s some good opportunities,” he said. “And if you have a site where you know you’re going to need to improve performance anyways, why not take advantage of it?”
“We cannot meet our sustainability goals if building owners are left to figure this out on their own,” Dina Levy, commissioner of NYC Housing Preservation and Development, said in a statement. “The NYC Accelerator gives owners … real guidance, real tools, and real support to upgrade buildings and find cost savings.”
