Governor Kathy Hochul's Decarbonization Leadership Program initiative, administered by the New York Power Authority, includes developing energy and emissions profiles of the State’s largest carbon-emitting facilities and decarbonization action plans that will guide state agencies on facility improvements that will reduce carbon emissions in support of the State’s nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
Identified as part of the program, the Empire State Plaza Decarbonization Action Plan provides a roadmap for near-term actions and a decision-making framework for the long-term vision to achieve NYS energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction mandates and set a path for carbon neutrality by 2050.
Many of the key findings, metrics, and methodologies in the Plaza Decarbonization Action Plan are drawn from the ESP Energy Infrastructure Master Plan report and align with its recommendations, including a four-phase long-term decarbonization plan to transition to a low-temperature hot water distribution system and to power the Empire State Plaza with low-carbon energy sources.
Empire State Plaza Decarbonization Action Plan demonstrates OGS’s ongoing commitment to a greener future for New York State by adding the following critical layers of analysis and planning:
- Calculating estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) totals from fleet vehicles.
- Providing an investigation of electrifying transportation resources to reduce GHG emissions. This includes recommendations to transition the State fleet to zero-emission vehicles in line with Executive Order 22 and to integrate electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) into the Plaza’s overall energy system. This work complements the existing EV transition work OGS continues to advance across State operations.
- Expanding energy efficiency recommendations to three facilities neighboring the Empire State Plaza. These facilities receive heating and cooling from central plants and remain part of the complex’s overall energy system.
- Updating upfront capital expenditures and energy-efficiency measure costs and savings to 2025 dollars.
- Showing the social cost of emissions from environmental pollutants, including carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide, in 2020, 2022, and 2025 dollars.