Overview
It’s 2024, and time to expand on our previous article about New York City’s Local Law 154!
On December 22, 2021 New York City approved Local Law 154 in an effort to mitigate the major sources of carbon emissions in new building construction. The law provides a schedule of implementation based on specific building properties while allowing exceptions in certain cases. The parameters and exceptions are both outlined in the ‘Implementation Timeline’ below.
At its heart, Local Law 154 prohibits the combustion of any fuel that emits more than 25 kilograms of carbon dioxide per million BTU. The US Energy Information Administration website has a chart that can be viewed here which shows emissions properties of various fuels.
Implementation timeline
- January 1, 2024 and after, new buildings filed with the following properties will have restricted emissions:
- New 1 or 2 family (R-3) buildings, no exceptions.
- Buildings less than 7-stories tall, with the following exceptions:
- Using fuel for production of hot water.
- Affordable Housing (minimum 50% affordable units)
- December 31, 2024 and after, new buildings filed with the following properties will have restricted emissions:
- New York City School of Construction Authority (NYCSCA) projects, no exceptions
- New York City School of Construction Authority (NYCSCA) projects, no exceptions
- December 31, 2025 and after, new buildings filed with the following properties will have restricted emissions:
- Affordable Housing buildings (minimum 50% affordable units) less than 7-stories tall, with the following exceptions:
- Using fuel for production of hot water.
- Using fuel for production of hot water.
- Affordable Housing buildings (minimum 50% affordable units) less than 7-stories tall, with the following exceptions:
- July 2, 2027 and after, new buildings filed with the following properties will have restricted emissions (including production of hot water):
- All new buildings with the following exceptions:
- Affordable Housing greater than 7 stories tall (minimum 50% affordable units)
- Regulated Utilities for energy generation
- DEP buildings for treatment of sewage/food waste
- Specific spaces in buildings where fuel is required for: manufacturing, laboratories, laundromat, hospital, crematorium, commercial kitchen, emergency/standby power.
- All new buildings with the following exceptions:
- December 31, 2027 and after, new buildings filed with the following properties will have restricted emissions (including production of hot water):
- Affordable Housing greater than 7 stories tall (minimum 50% affordable units)
Are any buildings not restricted by Local Law 154?
Yes, as noted above in the above ‘Implementation Timeline’, the following buildings or spaces are not restricted:
- Regulated Utilities for energy generation
- DEP buildings for treatment of sewage/food waste
- Specific spaces in buildings where fuel is required for:
- Manufacturing
- Laboratories
- Laundromats
- Hospitals
- Crematoriums
- Commercial kitchens
- Emergency/Standby power.
The carbon emissions for my project are restricted by Local Law 154, how can I comply?
EP Engineering is here to help! We understand the technologies available to comply with Local Law 154. Please reach out to info@epengineering.com to be connected to one of our experienced engineers who will be happy to discuss your project.
In the meantime, please feel free to browse a couple of articles relevant to this topic:
Note to reader: This article is intended to provide an overview of the important milestones associated with this local law. Specific requirements and paths to compliance should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The original Local Law 154 document can be found on the NYC Website.