Preparing for the Upcoming NYC LL97 Compliance Reporting Deadline on May 1

In accordance with Local Law 97 (LL97) enacted by the City of New York, certain buildings within New York City (NYC) will need to report their compliance with greenhouse gas emission limitations by May 1, 2025. These buildings include single buildings in excess of 25,000 gross square feet or multiple buildings on the same tax block or governed by the same entity exceeding 50,000 gross square feet, and identified by NYC Department of Buildings in Article 320 or Article 321 as “Covered Buildings.”

The annual compliance report is due annually on May 1 in most cases. This aims to aid building owners in achieving the net zero emissions goal by 2050 as set forth in LL97.

What Does My Building Need in Order to Report Its Annual Compliance?

In order to submit the first compliance report, building owners will need to have access to three separate web-based applications: DOB Now, Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and Building Assets Energy Manager.

• DOB Now account: All filing fees for reporting must be paid through the DOB Now application.
• Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) account: This application will be capable of automatically populating energy consumption data for the building(s) into the reporting portal.
• Building Asset Energy Manager (BEAM) account: The BEAM account will be utilized to submit the final annual compliance report. This account will be linked to both the DOB Now and the ESPM accounts in order to share energy consumption and property data across the three platforms.

What Does My Building Report?

Articles 320 and 321 differentiate between the covered building types that fall under LL97. Article 321 applies to affordable housing and houses of worship, while Article 320 applies to most other covered buildings. The reporting requirements differ between Article 320 and Article 321 buildings.

For typical compliance reporting under Article 320, the BEAM system will automatically calculate the building’s emission limit as well as the greenhouse gases emitted for the current compliance period utilizing total gross floor area, occupancy groups, and current and historical energy usage data. If the building’s greenhouse gas emissions are below the calculated threshold, the building is considered compliant with LL97. If the building’s emissions are greater than the threshold, the building is not in compliance and will face fines.

Covered buildings reporting under Article 321 can utilize the 2030 compliance period values with ESPM data or can utilize Prescriptive Energy Conservation Measures (PECMs), which do not require ESPM data. Article 321 covered buildings will only need to submit a one-time report in 2025.

A registered design professional is required to review the report prior to submission for both Article 320 and Article 321 submissions.

What Does This Mean for Building Owners?

The annual LL97 compliance reports give building owners insight into long-term energy consumption trends within their building(s) and if their building is utilizing energy efficiently. Greater efficiency and decreased energy usage can help decrease operating costs, which can in turn keep rents affordable, building conditions comfortable, and tenants satisfied.  

At Walden we are available to help building owners comply with LL97 by identifying, designing, and implementing energy conservation measures through our energy auditing services. We have multiple registered design professionals on staff to aid in the creation and review of the reports prior to annual submission.

Please contact us at 516-518-3705 with any questions about LL97 applicability or to discuss how to get started with an energy audit.