by: Bria Donohue
In May 2019, Local Law 97 was passed, setting greenhouse gas emission limits on buildings over 25,000 square feet starting in 2024. LL97 is intended to reduce emissions from buildings by 40% by 2030 and achieve an 80% reduction citywide by 2050. The rules for implementing this ambitious policy were recently released by the NYC Department of Buildings and provide critical details building owners need to comply with, explaining how Local Law 97’s substantial penalties can be temporarily avoided by demonstrating a “good faith effort.” The rules incentivize long-term carbon-reduction planning as well as early adoption of electrification projects by establishing a “credit” that can be applied towards emission reduction targets. Additionally, clear limitations are placed on the use of renewable energy credits (RECs) as a means of reducing excess emissions. Further, the proposed rule provides guidance for buildings with affordable housing and other circumstances which have alternative emission reduction goals.
Join representatives from the NYC Department of Buildings for an overview of the proposed rules for Local Law 97 implementation on Tuesday, October 17 from 10 am to 11:30 am. The speakers will be Laura Popa, Deputy Commissioner of Sustainability; Gina Bocra, Chief Sustainability Officer; Emily Hoffman, Director of Building Energy and Emissions Performance; and Beth Golub, Director of Sustainability Policy and Legal Matters. Register for the info session here.
The proposed rules for LL97 implementation are currently open for public comment, and the public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 24 at 11 am.