City Council expected to approve new green requirements for buildings today

Large city properties may soon be required by law to be environmentally friendly. The City Council is expected to approve a new law today that would require offices with more than 10,000 square feet to install electricity meters for tenants and lighting retrofits by 2025. The time frame will allow most leases to turn over before the deadline. Buildings — with the exception of data centers, TV studios and some others — will also have to meet a target for electrical and water use by May 1, 2011. New construction will be subject to the New York State energy code, and large residential buildings will have to meet new requirements like energy audits on boilers. The City Council consulted the Real Estate Board of New York in drafting legislation that would be practical for landlords. “The problem [with the originally proposed law] was with mandated retrofits and audits,” said REBNY President Steven Spinola. In the version up for a vote today, though, “there will be tougher standards, but we could agree on them,” he said. [Post]