State and City Partnership Expanded Through Resilient and Equitable Decarbonization Initiative for Existing Buildings Program
Investment Expands Electric and Energy Efficiency Upgrades to Benefit More Low- to Moderate-Income Residents
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $16.5 million is now available to decarbonize and improve existing affordable housing in New York City through the Resilient and Equitable Decarbonization Initiative for Existing Buildings (REDi: EB) Program. The funding is an expansion of a collaborative partnership between New York State and New York City to provide affordable housing building owners and developers easier access to funding for electrification and energy efficiency retrofit upgrades to New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) regulated buildings. Modernizing HPD buildings into highly efficient living spaces will help to reduce use of fossil-fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality for low-to moderate income residents.
“In partnership with New York City, we’re advancing funding to reduce building emissions and tackle the climate crisis,” Governor Hochul said. “We are ensuring developers and building owners have access to the resources they need to retrofit affordable housing so we can decarbonize buildings in underserved communities.”
With today’s announcement, $15 million is now available through REDi: EB, which is administered by HPD in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), on a first come, first served basis to cover the incremental costs to strategically electrify space heating and domestic hot water production and improve the building envelope via enhanced insulation, windows, and ventilation systems. HPD, NYSERDA, and technical consultants will work with project teams to determine a scope that works best for each project. The maximum award is $1 million per building or up to $2 million for multi-building projects. Incentive funds will be paid to the project by HPD during the construction phase.
Also, $1.5 million is now available to fund technical assistance throughout the design, construction and post-construction phases for projects participating in REDi: EB. Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2025, or until funds have been exhausted.
Buildings are one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New York State, and through NYSERDA and utility programs, over $6.8 billion is being invested to decarbonize buildings. By improving energy efficiency in buildings and advancing statewide installations of onsite storage, renewables, and electric vehicle charging equipment, the State will reduce its carbon emissions and advance toward the ambitious target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 TBtu by 2025, the equivalent of powering 1.8 million homes.
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
* This article was originally published here
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