Climate Change & Resiliency
NYSDEC Proposes Expanded Green and Sustainable Remediation Policy, Adds New Hurdles to Renewable Energy Development on Remediation Sites
On October 15, 2025, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Environmental Remediation (DER) proposed revisions to DER-31, a policy guidance document that outlines the requirements and procedures for Green and Sustainable Remediation under all DER remedial programs. The purpose of Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) is to “consider all environmental…
Round Up of New York Climate Litigation in 2025
As we approach the close of 2025, one key takeaway is that this year has been an especially active one for climate litigation in New York. On October 24, 2025, the New York Supreme Court granted the petition in Citizen Action of New York et al. v. New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (No….
NYCDOB Issues Two New Energy Storage System Rules
The New York City Department of Buildings (NYCDOB) recently adopted two new rules mandating the safe design, installation, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning of energy storage systems (ESS), including indoor systems that were not previously regulated by the NYC Fire Department (FDNY). This SPR Blog post presents key highlights from the new NYCDOB rules, which…
The Current State of Electric Vehicle Incentives in New York and Beyond
Electric vehicles (EVs) have enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years as an alternative to the U.S.’s overwhelmingly fossil fuel-based transportation sector. A robust ecosystem of incentives from public and private entities alike has emerged to facilitate this shift, presenting significant economic benefits for developers of EV infrastructure. This article provides an overview of major existing…
USEPA Extends Deadline for Installation of Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems Using Regulated Hydrofluorocarbons
On December 12, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published its final rule extending the time for certain new variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning and heat pump systems to comply with the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown requirements of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act). HFCs are greenhouse gases with global…
New Proposed Local Law 97 Regulations Include Key Offset, Adjustment, and Cogeneration Provisions
On September 27, 2024, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) issued its third proposed rulemaking package to implement Local Law 97 of 2019 (LL97). LL97 requires most large buildings in NYC to meet increasingly stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits starting in 2024. The proposed regulations establish a new GHG emissions offset program…