Two percent of the city's buildings use 45% of the city's energy, according to a new report by Climate Works For All.
The organization, part of The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN) and focused on combating climate change while creating jobs, used data that is publicly available through the city's energy consumption reporting requirements, enacted as part of the Greener, Greater Buildings (GGBP) laws.
ALIGN claims that among the worst offenders are luxury residential buildings that, through outsize amenities, end up consuming much more energy than the majority of other residential buildings in the city.
On Tuesday, members of the group, along with representatives from New York Communities for Change and other associations, held a rally at the corner of West 57th street and Sixth Avenue, on so-called "billionaire's row."
Between leading chants through a megaphone, Josh Kellermann, a senior analyst for ALIGN, said that the organization wants to work with the City Council to expand the energy regulations governing city buildings.
Existing GGBP laws, which apply to buildings of over 50,000 feet, do not go far enough and rely too heavily on participation in voluntary programs, according to the organization. Currently, buildings receive energy audits but are not necessarily required to follow recommendations.
6 comments:
If they pay for the energy they use what does it matter?
We aren't California (yet). So far no brown outs.
They should be more concerned with the people who use it through illegal hookups or never pay the bills and have the courts prevent them from turning it off.
It is easier to demonize those who work and pay the bills than have a rational discussion of where the revenue loss is.
Here we go again with the unending Class Warfare — Divide the people into more and more little groups.
These are the Saul Alinsky students.
Tell me that these members of the group do not wish to be rich.
You know that they are playing the lotto everyday.
Ever notice the more we save the more the price goes up?
We all now use the mercury laden, curlicue CFL bulbs, high efficiency appliances that do not do the job, sweat in the summer, read by candlelight, etc...
Electric rates have doubled since 1990.
We install water savers on showers, bring laundry to laundromat, crap at work, shower together, eat off paper plates, etc..
And our water bills are through the roof.
At least the rich still have real Air Conditioning, Clean silverware and glassware, real light-bulbs, not going blind trying to read at night...
Here I thought the biggest users of electricity would be those commercial and public buildings that leave every single light on all night.
Several years back when the City mandated this "benchmark" reporting of energy consumption I asked several people in the property management business what this was all about. No one seemed to know or care. They simply hired companies to compile the required reports. Now maybe we are seeing the true purpose of this privacy invasion. Certain groups or maybe government agencies will use this private property owner private information to demonize the owners and perhaps carbon tax them. I see where this is all going.
It's not as if forcing these building to use less energy will make for cleaner air in New York City, so who really cares except these CO2 cranks with too much time on their hands.
These buildings under scrutiny don't even have actual flesh and blood people living there. Most of these are empty apartments that are fronts for tax shelters and phantom LLC's. They are leaving the lights on to enhance the skyline and the market rate for rentals with views from Goddamn Brooklyn and Lame Island City.
Real Estate is a Criminal Enterprise now.
Post a Comment