By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday launched “Getting 97 Done,” a plan to cut harmful carbon emissions from the city’s large buildings as part of their obligations under Local Law 97 of 2019.
The ‘Getting 97 Done’ plan tackles four key focus areas on Local Law 97 and achieving decarbonization goals: identifying and targeting city, state, federal, and utility-based financing and funding for upgrades; providing buildings with needed technical advice through the NYC Accelerator; implementing key enforcement mechanisms via a DOB rule package; and decarbonizing central systems in partnership with New York State. Building on the work of NYC Accelerator — which has already completed compliance assistance for 5,000 buildings— the Adams administration is taking a series of steps to remove obstacles to compliance and help buildings meet their obligations.
“Every part of the ‘Getting 97 Done’ plan builds towards one core goal: reversing the effects of climate changes,” Adams said. “The data shows that our administration’s efforts are already working, and we’re going to continue moving forward.”
DOB today also advanced the city’s emissions reductions efforts under Local Law 97 by publishing its second set of proposed rules to guide implementation of the law. As the law continues to prove effective, these rules target the city’s worst emitters — focusing on achieving emissions reductions and providing building owners with the support they need to advance retrofit projects, while also outlining enforcement, including financial penalties, for building owners neglecting their legal responsibilities.
Like the agency’s first rules package — which gave building owners guidance on how to calculate their specific emissions limits and was adopted in December 2022 — it was heavily informed by the collaborative work of the city’s Local Law 97 Advisory Board and Climate Working Groups.
The proposed rules:
- Set out penalties for noncompliance at the maximum amount allowed under the law;
- Outline how property owners can demonstrate a “Good Faith Effort,” as written in Local Law 97, to reduce emissions and comply with the law, therefore avoiding penalties — namely by showing progress on decarbonization, sharing a plan to reach their emissions reduction targets, and accepting a framework for retroactive enforcement if they fail to follow through on those plans;
- Fully prohibit buildings that qualify for the “Good Faith Effort” provision of the law, and implement a decarbonization plan, from purchasing renewable energy credits as part of reaching their emissions reduction targets;
- Establish a new credit for early electrification work in a building that owners can apply towards compliance with their emissions reduction targets; and
- Provide guidance for affordable housing buildings and houses of worship on their Local Law 97 prescriptive compliance pathways under Article 321 of the law.
These proposed rules will be open to public comment during an online hearing on October 24, 2023. DOB will review and consider all public comments made during the hearing for inclusion before publishing the final adopted rules later this year. DOB will publish additional rules related to Local Law 97, as needed, in the future.
