Yesterday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced new investments in clean and efficient buildings. As part of her 2023 State of the State, Governor Hochul introduced a series of building decarbonization initiatives, including zero-emission for new construction and the phase out of the sale of new fossil fuel heating equipment.
“I’m proposing a plan to end the sale of any new fossil-fuel-powered heating equipment by 2030,” said the governor. “And I’m calling for all new construction to be zero-emission, starting in 2025 for small buildings and 2028 for large buildings. We are taking these actions because climate change remains the greatest threat to our planet, and to our children and grandchildren.”
To improve air quality and reduce emissions, Governor Hochul proposed:
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- Zero-emission new construction, with no on-site fossil fuel combustion by 2025 for smaller buildings and by 2028 for larger buildings.
- A prohibition on the sale of any new fossil fuel heating equipment by 2030 for smaller buildings and 2035 for larger buildings.
- A system to assign letter grades to larger buildings based on their energy usage.
- The Governor also announced that New York will invest $500 million in clean water funding to support water quality and infrastructure projects.
Jose A. Aquino (@JoseAquinoEsq on Twitter) is a special counsel in the New York office of Duane Morris LLP, where he is a member of the Construction Group and of the Duane Morris Cuba Business Group. Mr. Aquino focuses his practice on construction law, mechanics’ lien law and government procurement law. This blog is prepared and published for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s law firm or its individual attorneys.