Gibbons Law Alert
Under a newly enacted City of Philadelphia Ordinance, some tenants in properties developed with financial assistance by the City of Philadelphia may now be required to comply with a minimum wage requirement that is 150% of the federal minimum wage. Benefits provided to full-time employees of tenants may also be impacted.
A bill that would add the Port District of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to the definition of “wind energy zones” in the newly adopted Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, was reported out of the Senate Budge and Appropriations Committee on September 13, 2010. The amendment would allow tax credits for qualified wind energy facilities in the Port District.
With energy costs high and the focus on combating global warming, there is an impetus toward encouraging the development of Green Buildings. Buildings account for 39% of the total energy usage in the U.S., two thirds of the electricity consumption and 1/8 of the water usage. Building codes, setting minimum standards for construction, now include standards for energy efficiency. Green Codes are creeping in.