I mentioned the PlaNYC when I blogged about the Washington DC statute so I figured I’d come full circle. NYC did pass its own new green legislation.

The legislation is a component of PlaNYC, a broad strategy introduced in 2007 with the goal of reducing New York City’s carbon footprint 30 percent by 2030. The four major building-related elements of the legislation are: the creation of a citywide energy code; a benchmarking requirement; lighting system upgrades and tenant submetering; and required energy audits and retrocommissioning.

It applies to buildings over 50,000 square feet — not 200,000 like Washington DC.

Good quote from Mayor Bloomberg: “While New York already has the lowest per capita carbon footprint of any major city in America, we recognize that every city must take action to fight climate change,” said Mayor Bloomberg in a statement. “By requiring buildings to conduct energy audits and improve their energy efficiency, the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan will reduce the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions while creating thousands of jobs and dramatically reducing annual energy costs.”

Here is the full article from Greensource magazine.