Many New York Metropolis co-op boards discover themselves in a double bind. Whereas they’re struggling to pay rising property taxes, they’re additionally dealing with pricey retrofits to cut back their buildings’ carbon emissions sufficient to fulfill looming metropolis and state legal guidelines — Native Legislation 97 in New York Metropolis, and the state’s Local weather Management and Neighborhood Safety Act (CLCPA).

State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) has an concept co-op boards are going to like.

Parker’s has launched a invoice within the state Senate, S9603, that may present aid from actual property taxes for capital enhancements that cut back constructing carbon emissions. The proposed laws is two-fold:

Tax exemption. The invoice creates a tax exemption equal to any enhance in assessed worth for the eligible enhancements. The exemption lasts for 20 years offered the work is begun after Dec. 31, 2021 and is accomplished inside 60 months. All taxes on the property have to be present, and no resident will be evicted as a way to full the enhancements.

Tax abatement. The invoice creates a tax abatement equal to the emission discount caused by a retrofit. The abatement stays in impact for a time period that varies, based mostly on the emission reductions. The sliding scale ranges from two years for an emission discount of 2-5%, as much as 20 years for an emission discount higher than 30%. The abatement can’t exceed the taxes owed for any 12 months.

Parker presents the next justification for the invoice: “New York State has an pressing want to cut back emissions from the constructing inventory by energy-efficiency measure and environment friendly electrification as a way to meet the greenhouse fuel emission targets established by the CLCPA… On the identical time, New York Metropolis has adopted Native Legislation 97… Realizing these targets would require buildings to each cut back their whole power use and transfer to lower-carbon power sources, this laws is meant to (create) an incentive for a property proprietor to create actual significant reductions within the emissions profile of the constructing. The sort of software is required (as a result of) these investments might not make monetary sense within the absence of an incentive.”

The record of “eligible” enhancements is lengthy, together with upgrades to the constructing envelope, insulation, home windows, heating and cooling and home sizzling water methods, energy-efficient home equipment and fixtures, thermostats, wiring upgrades, photo voltaic panels, inexperienced roofs, waterproofing, plus the prices of labor, supplies and provides.  

The invoice, if it turns into regulation, may even set up an Power Effectivity Board to determine guidelines and laws to manage this system.