The City Council took aim at the city's largest polluter
Wednesday by requiring property owners audit energy usage and
make maintenance overhauls to cut back on carbon emissions.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the package of legislation
would set a standard nationwide. Buildings of more than 50,000
square feet will have to upgrade their lighting by 2025, and
those same buildings will now have to conduct energy audits
every 10 years. The city's existing buildings account for 80
percent of the city's carbon footprint and represent $15 billion
a year in energy costs. While environmental advocates and city
officials championed the green-buildings package, some critics
question the effectiveness of one piece of legislation (Intro
967-A), which originally required large buildings adopt the
recommendations of the now-required energy efficiency audits.
The version the City Council approved yesterday by a vote of 41
to 5 would make those recommendations voluntary. Some charge the
council backed away from the tou