It is time to act on Local Law 97 Prescriptive Pathway compliance! Fortunately, there are incentives available to reduce the cost of implementing the necessary upgrades.
Prescriptive Pathway Guidance
We’ve outlined the full guidance for the LL 97 Prescriptive Pathway in a series of blog posts on our website, with an explanation of the most recent guidance here. If you’re not sure whether your building is subject to the Prescriptive Pathway, start with this blog post which outlines the various compliance pathways.
The deadline for buildings to install the applicable 13 Prescriptive Energy Conservation Measures (PECMs) is the end of this year, and because the required PECMs include several heating distribution upgrades, most properties will have to finish the work before the heating season starts in the Fall.
Properties subject to Prescriptive Pathway that don’t take steps to comply will be subject to fines of $10,000-$20,000 per building, levied every year! And, there is a chance that noncompliance will also affect your ability to pull future permits for your properties.
Incentives for PECMs
There are two programs that provide incentives for qualifying affordable housing properties following the Prescriptive Pathway and installing the PECMs. Bright Power has extensive experience with both programs and can help you get incentives for your project through either one.
Con Edison’s LL 97 PECM Pilot Program
This pilot program is only open to affordable multifamily properties subject to the Prescriptive Pathway. To participate, buildings must be Con Edison gas customers, install a minimum of at least three PECMs, and be between 25,000 and 75,000 square feet. The program may accept buildings larger than 75,000 square feet if they have less than 100 dwelling units.
Building owners are limited to enrolling a maximum of three properties (counted as BBLs). On a case-by-case basis, the program may accept up to six BBLs from one building owner if all the properties are under 100 dwelling units.
Incentives for most measures are a $ per dwelling unit rate, with a few exceptions, and are capped at 85% of the total project cost or $1 million, whichever is less. See the tables below for the full incentive breakdown by PECM.
Affordable Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program (AMEEP)
You may already be familiar with AMEEP and have even used it for an energy efficiency retrofit at your building. For buildings that are not eligible for Con Edisons’s program described above, AMEEP’s Non-comprehensive incentives provide an excellent alternative to reduce the cost of installing the PECMs.
AMEEP is open to both Con Edison and National Grid customers and there is no building size limit or project enrollment limit. To participate in AMEEP, buildings must provide one of the forms of affordability documentation listed here.
The AMEEP incentive structures are a little more nuanced, but are either $ per piece of equipment or $ per unit of energy (therm) saved, and vary depending on the measure. See the tables below for the full incentive breakdown by PECM.
Interested in Incentives for Your Project?
The LL 97 Prescriptive Pathway deadline for installing PECMs is coming up fast! Don’t wait to get started on implementing these measures and getting into compliance. We understand that Prescriptive Pathway properties have a lot of work to do in just a few short months, however, the Department of Buildings (DOB) continues to advise that attempting to get the PECMs started will result in lower fines than buildings who ignore their LL97 requirements entirely. In addition, the Bright Power team can assist with options to request additional time to get your work done.
Reach out to your Account Manager with any questions. Don’t have an Account Manager? Email info@brightpower.com to get connected with us.