ALBANY-Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday ordered New York State agencies to increase energy efficiency by 20% in seven years, putting teeth into the order with a plan known as Build Smart NY. The plan is intended to use state building energy data to prioritize projects by their projected energy savings per dollar spent.

Under the plan, the largest and most inefficient state government buildings will be addressed first with whole-building improvements, according to a release. These range from new lighting fixtures and controls to automated energy management systems. The program will also ensure that cost-effective improvements for energy savings factor into all of the state's capital project planning.

The New York Power Authority, which is assembling a central management and implementation team to manage the plan, has committed $450 million in low-cost financing for the Build Smart NY initiative. On most projects, no upfront capital spending will be required because agencies can repay the loans through the projects' energy savings, the release states.

“Improving energy efficiency in our buildings is a smart investment in our present and future,” Cuomo says in a statement. “Through Build Smart NY, state government can produce significant savings for New York taxpayers and generate thousands of jobs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than eight million metric tons—which is the same as taking one million cars off the road for one year.”

The program has gotten a head start, with energy use data already collected on over 180 million square feet of buildings and campuses, representing about 95% of the state's building stock. Work has gotten under way on 30 million square feet of real estate, the release states.

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Cuomo Orders Energy Retrofits in State Bldgs

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