NY to Spend $100 Million to Decarbonize Empire State Plaza in Albany

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $100 million for phase one of the decarbonization of the Empire State Plaza in the state capital of Albany. The Empire State Energy Infrastructure Master Plan outlines a phased approach to reduce the state and local environmental impacts of the Plaza’s operations. This critical funding will facilitate the electrification of the existing steam-driven chillers, implementation of energy efficiency improvements, and installation of a new heat recovery chiller. These phase one improvements will result in a reduction of approximately 20 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from the Empire State Plaza.

The Empire State Plaza sits on 98 acres of land in Albany, consists of 14 core buildings that house various state agencies, and comprises approximately 12 million square feet of government office space, event space, and public space. The Empire State Plaza is heated by the Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant and receives cooling from the Central Air Conditioning Plant.

“New York State is leading by example in our efforts to reduce emissions, making significant investments to decarbonize our agency buildings and operations,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration remains committed to leading the fight against climate change and we’re aligning our investments to build a cleaner, greener New York.”

Previous energy efficiency work at the Empire State Plaza has included the electrification of one of the Plaza’s five steam-driven chillers, the installation of energy-efficient LED indoor and outdoor lighting systems, and the ongoing replacement of existing emergency generators at the Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant with efficient, low-emission, and low-noise units. These investments have reduced the emissions associated with operating the Plaza. As a continuation of this work, the ESP Energy Infrastructure Master Plan charts the way forward to the full decarbonization of the Empire State Plaza.

Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “Decarbonizing the Empire State Plaza is a significant opportunity that will allow us to couple the modernization of energy systems at New York State capital’s landmark and address decades of long-overdue maintenance. OGS is proud to continue working with NYPA on this transformative endeavor and the realization of the Empire State Plaza Energy Infrastructure Master Plan in the long-term.”

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, “I appreciate Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to decarbonize the Empire State Plaza, utilize green energy to support state operations, and help combat climate change. This $100 million investment is a critical first step toward the goal of reversing decades of environmental impacts in Sheridan Hollow and Arbor Hill – two historically redlined, majority-minority neighborhoods.”