Building Codes Assistance Project

On June 23, 2008, the New York State Assembly agreed to pass legislation that will encourage the construction of new homes and the renovation of existing homes to meet "green building" standards. The bill (S 8134) authorizes the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to create a program that will provide financial incentives to New Yorkers who "go green."

The amount of the grants will be based on a number of considerations, including the size and type of the residential structure. While New York has incentives in place to promote green buildings in the commercial sector, this is the first program that will provide these incentives for the residential sector.

NYSERDA will develop program guidelines, such as standards and criteria for eligibility, application procedures, awards and award levels, inspection procedures, documentation and compliance requirements, and training and qualification procedures for builders and technicians.
The program will include incentives aimed such things as:

• Sustainability measures relating to energy conservation and efficiency
• Water conservation
• Indoor air quality
• Use of nontoxic and renewable building products
• Natural resources conservation

In developing the program, NYSERDA will consult existing standards and criteria, such as those established by the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programs and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

For more details, view the press release from the Office of Governor David Paterson.

For a summary and the text of S 8134, visit the website of the New York State Assembly.

For New York code status information, please consult the BCAP New York Code Status page.