LL97 updates

On September 27, DOB released a new set of proposed rules for LL97. If adopted, this third major set of rules will create new support for affordable housing retrofits, clarify adjustments for financially constrained buildings, and fill in other provisions required by the law. On October 9, we hosted a webinar with DOB unpacking the details.

DOB made available a template for the documentation of four Prescriptive Energy Conservation Measures (PECMs). The completed template or equivalent must be uploaded for each covered building that follows the PECM compliance pathway by May 1, 2025.

Urban Green published a new analysis unpacking LL97’s new game-changing electrification credit, highlighting how a little electrification today can go a long way for covered buildings.

On December 18, DOB finalized the newest package of rules for Local Law 97. This rulemaking offers a new credit for beneficial electrification, defines “good faith” criteria for determining mitigated penalties, gives clarity to buildings that must meet the law’s prescriptive path, and provides details for Local Law 88 lighting and submetering requirements. Read the press release.
DOB also issued a detailed Article 321 Filing Guide for prescriptive path buildings and new preliminary LL97 Covered Buildings Lists for the various compliance pathways.

On September 12, DOB released a new set of proposed rules for Local Law 97. The package clarifies key remaining details on compliance and is a major step toward full implementation of the law. Watch our webinar on the proposed rules with DOB here.

Following 300+ Advisory Board and Working Group meetings with 100+ stakeholders, the Local Law 97 Advisory Board Report was delivered to DOB and includes a comprehensive set of recommendations that will inform final rulemaking on the law.
NYC DOB finalized Rule 103-14 for Local Law 97. It specifies details on property types, 2030’s electricity carbon coefficient, emissions limits for later compliance periods, renewable energy credits, and guidance for technical compliance.
On December 15, Laura Popa, Deputy Commissioner for Sustainability at DOB, joined us on Urban Green Live to talk about the new Bureau of Sustainability, the latest on the Local Law 97 Rules, and what comes next.

On October 6, the NYC Department of Buildings released proposed rules for Local Law 97 that answer many remaining questions about the law’s requirements through 2050. Here are Five Things to Know About the Proposed Rules, and watch our webinar with DOB here.
The Department of Buildings has released a LL97 Covered Buildings List, detailing all of the properties in NYC that may be required to comply with Local Law 97, and will be updated annually.

NYC Council approved a budget that includes $2.4 million for the DOB Office of Building Energy Emissions Performance to oversee the implementation of Local Law 97.

On November 15, NYU published Carbon Trading for NYC’s Building Sector. The study is required by LL97 and examines the environmental justice impact of adding a trading program to the law. Read the press release and watch our event Unpacking the LL97 Carbon Trading Study.

The DOB issued a bulletin clarifying that energy used to charge plug-in electric vehicles won’t be included in emissions from buildings under Local Law 97.
NYC released clarification on the guidelines for certain types of affordable housing. Full guidelines and FAQs.

April 2021

On April 12, the Department of Buildings began accepting applications for adjustments to a building’s 2024-2029 annual carbon limits. The deadline to apply for buildings with high emissions intensities, non-profit hospitals and healthcare facilities has passed. A recent DOB bulletin clarifies their adjustment rules. Full guidelines for adjustments can be found in DOB’s technical filing guide, along with an Excel workbook that outlines calculations and documentation.
The Department of Buildings has launched a Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting website with helpful instructions for those looking to clarify the details of Local Law 97.

November 2020

An amendment signed in November 2020 now requires covered buildings with 35 percent or fewer rent-regulated units to meet the law’s carbon caps starting in 2026. Originally, a covered building with one or more rent-regulated units could choose to follow Article 321 prescriptive measures instead of meeting the caps. Buildings with more than 35 percent rent-regulated units can still choose the prescriptive path. The expansion aligns with the State’s new rent laws and increases the impact of Local Law 97.

June 2020

Urban Green was appointed to the Advisory Board’s Carbon Accounting Working Group and Communications Working Group.

December 2019

In December 2019, the City appointed a 16-member Climate Advisory Board, which then created eight Climate Working Groups to develop recommendations on aspects of the law left to rulemaking.
City Council passed technical amendments to LL97 under Local Law 147 of 2019 and Local Law 95 of 2020, including:
- Clarification that the Department of Buildings can revise 2030 standards by rule, including using a different metric, provided it achieves the same overall carbon reductions;
- Carbon emissions from electricity can now be based on time of use;
- Credits for GHG offsets and energy storage may extend to later compliance periods;
- Some previously exempt affordable housing must now comply with the prescriptive package of low-cost energy savings measures;
- Revisions to the treatment of natural gas fuel cells.