Sustainable Development
Vineyard Wind 1 Comes Online; Still Faces Lawsuits
On January 2, 2024, the Vineyard Wind 1 project started producing power for the United States grid, becoming the second commercial-scale offshore wind project to do so after South Fork Wind came online in December 2023. This significant milestone comes as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit considers appeals in several lawsuits…
New York Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to Local Law 97
On October 30, 2023, the New York Supreme Court, New York County dismissed a significant legal challenge to New York City’s building emissions law, Local Law 97 of 2019. The decision provides clarity to the NYC real estate community that Local Law 97 is valid, enforceable, and constitutional. The law’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caps…
New Proposed Local Law 97 Regulations Include Penalty Mitigation, Electrification, and Enforcement Provisions
On September 12, 2023, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) issued proposed regulations 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 penalty mitigation pathways, create incentives for electrification, and clarify…
NYC Department of Buildings Releases Proposed Local Law 97 Regulations
On October 6, 2022, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) issued proposed regulations 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 include three key components and numerous other clarifications to the…
NYC Department of Buildings Issues New Guidance on Local Law 97 Adjustment Applications
On Friday April 9, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) issued its first Local Law 97 Adjustments Application Filing Guide. DOB began accepting adjustment applications on April 12, 2021 via its DOB NOW: Safety website. Local Law 97 of 2019 (LL97) requires most New York City buildings over 25,000 square feet to meet…
New York City Council Passes Major Amendment to Local Law 97 Affordable Housing Provisions
On October 29, 2020, the New York City Council passed Int. No 1947-A—a bill that significantly amends the affordable housing provisions of Local Law 97 of 2019 to require more buildings to meet greenhouse gas emissions caps. Local Law 97 and the technical amendments in Local Law 147 of 2019 require most new and existing…