Tagged: Green Buildings

New York City Department of Buildings Releases Proposed Rules Package for Local Law 97, the GHG Emissions Law

As part of its ongoing efforts to implement Local Law 97 of 2019, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) recently released a package of four new proposed rules; the full text of these proposed rules can be found at Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, and Rule 4. Local Law 97 establishes strict GHG emissions caps for “Covered Buildings,” which essentially include all buildings over 25,000 square feet, subject to some exceptions. These GHG emissions caps went into effect on January 1, 2024, and become more stringent over time in five-year increments referred to as compliance periods. Beginning in May 2025, and each May thereafter, building owners are required to submit an annual GHG emissions report for their building. If the actual GHG emissions from the building exceed the GHG emissions cap established by the Law, the building owner will receive a penalty for non-compliance. The initial compliance period is 2024-2029, when, according to DOB estimates, approximately 10-15 percent of Covered Buildings in the city will exceed the Law’s GHG emissions caps. The second compliance period is 2030-2034, when the GHG emissions caps will be reduced by approximately 50 percent and the number of buildings facing Local Law 97 penalties will rise significantly. GHG emissions caps are reduced again in 2035 and 2040, until...

NYSDEC Adopts Update to SEQR Regulations

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) announced on June 28, 2018 that it had adopted a rulemaking package directed at updating its regulations relating to the State Environmental Quality Review (“SEQR”). The updates – DEC’s first to its SEQR regulations in more than two decades – are the product of an effort that began in February 2017 with the DEC’s filing of an initial notice and, following a series of public comment periods and subsequent revisions, culminated with its publication of the Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement (“FGEIS”) and revised text of the regulations. As revised, the regulations become effective on January 1, 2019 and apply to all actions for which a determination of significance has not been made by January 1, 2019. For projects that receive a determination of significance made prior to January 1, 2019, the existing SEQR regulations (which originally took effect in 1996) will continue to apply. Once effective, the revised regulations could have a significant impact on SEQR’s applicability to future development projects. The new regulations contemplate a number of mechanical changes to the environmental review process itself, including mandatory scoping of environmental impact statements, changes to the required content of environmental impact statements (“EIS”), as well as new requirements relating to the preparation and filing environmental impact...

Legislature Contemplates Extension of Moratorium on Statewide Non-Residential Development Fee

At the end of last week, the New Jersey State Senate (“Senate”) introduced Bill S3116 that proposes to continue the moratorium on the statewide non-residential development fee (the “Fee”) that expired on July 1, 2013. Since July 1, 2013, developers and land use attorneys have been in a state of flux with regard to whether the fee applies to development projects. If passed, this legislation would extend the moratorium to December 31, 2014.

The Extension of the Permit Extension Act is on the Move, To Be Reviewed Today By Assembly Appropriations Committee

About two months ago, several NJ Legislators, including State Senator Paul Sarlo (Bergen/Passaic) and Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, proposed bills that would amend the 2008 “Permit Extension Act.” Designed to give developers breathing room in the sluggish economy by extending the validity of development approvals, Proposed Bill S743 (the “Bill” or “S743”) is gaining traction and is moving through the necessary legislative committees. On March 5, 2012, S743 passed by a vote of 4-0 by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The Bill is scheduled to go before the Assembly Appropriations Committee on March 12, 2012.

The Permit Extension Act May Keep Extending

Apparently concerned that the economy may not be recovering rapidly enough, the 215th New Jersey Legislature now convened, introduced a new bill (A337) on January 10, 2012, by Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer of District 12, to change the definition of the “extension period” under the Permit Extension Act so that it runs through December 31, 2015. Therefore, based on the 6-month tolling provision currently in the Permit Extension Act, approvals received for development applications during the extension period could be extended as far out as June 30, 2016. Bill A337 has been referred to the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee.

Proposed Legislation Will Require Shopping Center Developments in NJ to Provide Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles

One of the problems with electric cars (EVs) is – what do you do when the battery runs down? Currently there are 500 charging stations in the United States and 400 of them are in California. In an attempt to address the dead battery problem and encourage purchase of EVs, on March 21, 2011, the New Jersey State Senate introduced Bill S2784 (the “Bill”) which requires owners of shopping center developments to include charging stations. Under the Bill, owners of a “shopping center development” must equip not less than five (5%) percent of the parking spaces for the shopping center development with electric vehicle charging stations. Moreover, such stations must be available for use during the hours of operation of the shopping center development.

How to Avoid “Sun-block” – New Jersey’s Solar Easements Act

As more and more business owners and homeowners in New Jersey take advantage of the incentives available to build and maintain solar energy systems and solar panels, it’s important that such investments be protected from unwanted disputes with neighbors. A little known New Jersey statute may be able to help. Recent statistics on New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program website indicate that New Jersey is the fastest growing market for solar power in the United States, and has the largest number of solar panel installations, second only to California, where neighborly disputes over trees blocking solar panels, solar panels impairing views, causing glare and other general nuisance claims are becoming more and more common.

New Jersey Business & Industry Association Recognizes Company Excellence

On Wednesday evening, October 19, 2010, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA) presented its annual “Awards For Excellence” to eleven New Jersey businesses for laudable Business Expansion, Environmental Quality, as Outstanding Employers, and for Public Service. Gibbons P.C. was amongst four companies honored for Public Service, joining two Gibbons clients, Peloton Advantage, LLC, the winner of the Business Expansion Award, and Hall’s Warehouse Corp., honored with a NJ Businesses Environmental Quality Award.

Solar Energy Development in New Jersey: Right Time, Right Place!

All of us are intrigued by the concept of utilizing a clean, renewable energy source to generate abundant and cheap power for our homes and businesses. Some of us have even investigated installing a renewable energy system, but have come away disappointed due to onerous regulatory obstacles and the high cost associated with these installations. That is, unless you are looking into installing a solar energy power facility in New Jersey.

Green or Not to Green, That is the Question? Whether it is Nobler to Build a Green Building or Suffer the Ignominy of an Ungreen One

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.