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Local Law 97

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

Climate Mobilization Act

Enacted in 2019 as part of the Climate Mobilization Act and beginning in 2024, Local Law 97 is a pivotal measure in New York City's commitment to environmental sustainability. This legislation establishes stringent limits on greenhouse gas emissions from large buildings, determined by occupancy group and gross floor area.

Building owners should be aware that the emissions limits are subject to periodic tightening, occurring roughly every 5 years. Building owners may need to implement energy-efficient practices and adopt renewable energy sources to stay within these limits.

Maypole Can Help

Large buildings (over 25,000 sq feet) that are included in the Covered Building List (CBL) must engage a Registered Design Professional (RDP) in order to submit an annual LL97 Compliance Report

Annual Emissions Reporting:

Also known as a LL97 compliance report or Article 320 compliance report, building owners are required to upload an annual emissions report detailing their greenhouse gas emissions. This report must comply with the specific guidelines set forth by LL97.

  • Required for all New York City buildings that appear on the CBL (Covered Buildings List)

  • Reports require an attestation by a RDP (Registered Design Professional)

  • Uploads are due by May 1st of each compliance year. Note - the city annouced a 60-day grace period for the current compliance year, effectively extending this deadline to June 30, 2025. 

Emissions Limits Compliance:

Owners must ensure that their buildings meet the prescribed emissions limits based on occupancy group and gross floor area. Exceeding these limits may result in significant fines.

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Having a trained professional calculate your building data accurately can mean the difference between meeting or exceeding your emissions limit.

LL97 Timeline
Filing Extensions and Submitting Compliance Reports
ll97_timeline.jpg

Helpful Terminology*

RDP - Registered Design Professional. The RDP is required to attest accuracy of reports prior to submissions.​

DOB NOW - Department of Buildings' Self Service Online Tool. This is where accounts are initially created.

ESPM - Energy Star Portfolio Manager. A platform where you benchmark your buildings' energy usage.

BEAM - Building Energy Analysis Manager. This is where LL97 reports are submitted/uploaded.​

*Find more LL 97 terminology here.

Now What?

What should you do if you're not compliant? What can you do if your emissions exceed the limit? Contact us and we will walk you through how best to proceed.

Steps to Local Law 97 Report Filing

Once you've confirmed that your building is included on the Covered Buildings List the below steps outline the filing process. See our blog How to File a LL97 Compliance Report for more information.

DOB Now

Pay Filing Fee

  • Declare your RDP and submit their information. This enables you to access ESPM and BEAM
     

  • Pay the LL97 filing fee. You do not need to pay both LL97 and LL88 filing fees if you are filing both this year.

ESPM

Share Property Information with NYC

  • Water and energy data usage is inputted. ConEd's Building Energy Usage Portal (BEUP) data can be linked for automatic input or data can be manually entered.
     

  • The building's data will need to be connected with NYC as this is how the data will transfer to BEAM.
     

  • Gross Floor Area (GFA) needs to be entered. This will determine your emissions limits.

BEAM

Submit LL97 Report

  • Emissions and emissions limits are automatically calculated based on ESPM data. An RDP can make adjustments that will set the most owner-friendly emissions limits.
     

  • There are additional tickets for submitting the LL88 compliance report, applying for penalty mitigations, and applying deductions.
     

  • This step requires RDP attestation in order to submit for DOB review.

IMPORTANT:

Three email addresses can be entered into DOB NOW and are the ONLY contacts able to view the building profile in BEAM.

  • Building Owner

  • Building Owner Representative

  • RDP/RCxA Service Provider

Check here for an in-depth explanation of the Compliance Report Submission Process

Compliance Support

Once you've confirmed that your building is included on the Covered Buildings List you will need to find a Registered Design Professional (RDP) to prepare your compliance report. There are benefits to engaging an RDP early in the report filing process. 

Maypole's Registered Design Professional Can:

  • Assist with setting up your DOB NOW, ESPM, and BEAM accounts

  • Provide guidance on the benchmarking process within ESPM

  • Correctly calculate your buildings' gross floor area to establish the emissions limits that are most owner beneficial

  • Certify and upload emissions report(s) by the deadline

  • Perform a Local Law 97 cost-benefit analysis incorporating:

    • Penalty mitigation / Mediated resolution

      • Good faith efforts

      • Decarbonization Plan

    • Deduction options

      • Beneficial Electrification​

      • Purchase of Renewal Energy Credits (REC)

      • Carbon offsets

    • Retrocommissions

LL97 Property Type Emissions Limits Over Time
Carbon caps will become more stringent over a series of compliance periods as outlined below. It is important to find a RDP who will ensure the most owner beneficial emissions limits are determined.
LL97 Graphic.png

Click here for an interactive version of this chart.

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