Data and methodology
What the list is built from, how the exposure figure is calculated, and how it was checked, so you can judge it before you rely on it.
What the list covers
Privately owned New York City buildings covered by Local Law 97 that are on track to exceed their 2030 emissions limit, with $50,000 to $1,000,000 a year of projected exposure. Hospitals, universities, city-run buildings and the largest towers are left out of the list.
The core of the list is white space: buildings where no heating or energy work has been filed with the city in the last 3 years.
Where the data comes from
Only official records published by the City of New York, most of them on NYC Open Data. Nothing is scraped and nothing is bought from data brokers.
- Energy and emissions: each building's annual energy report and the city's list of buildings covered by Local Law 97.
- Building activity: job filings and permits recorded by the city.
- Ownership and management: public city property and registration records.
- City records are also used to set aside buildings the city owns or runs.
How the exposure figure is calculated
The figure follows the method in the Local Law 97 rules:
- Emissions come from the building's most recent energy report, using the emission factors the rules set for each fuel.
- The limit depends on how the building's floor area is used, using the limits the rules set for each property type. Every one of those limits was checked against the rule itself.
- $268 per tonne of CO2e over the limit is the yearly penalty set in the law.
How it was checked
The figures were compared with the city's own LL97 building directory. In a spot check of 28 buildings, all 14 that could be compared like-for-like came within 10% of the city's number.
The city's directory sometimes shows a different figure for a building: for example when it uses an older energy report, or splits one report across several buildings. Each row where that's likely carries a note saying why, so you know before you look it up.
What the figure is, and what it isn't
- It's a projection from 2030 if the building's energy use stays as last reported. It isn't a fine anyone has been charged.
- It's gross exposure. It ignores renewable energy credits, deductions and adjustments an owner may claim.
- 2030 emissions won't be reported until 2031, so every 2030 figure is a forecast.
- "No filing" means no heating or energy work has been filed with the city in 3 years. It doesn't mean the building has no engineer: most covered buildings have a registered design professional who signs the annual LL97 report.
- Nothing here is legal, engineering or compliance advice.
Contacts and personal data
Contacts are company-level by default: the managing agent or owning company and its business mailing address, from the city filings above. Some filings also name a person in a business role. The list has no email addresses or phone numbers. Anyone listed can ask to be removed by emailing [email protected]. See the privacy notice.
Found something wrong?
If you know a building on the list and its figure looks off, email [email protected] with the address. It will be checked and corrected in the next monthly update.