NY Gets High Marks for Being Green

NEW YORK CITY-Despite the neon lights on Broaday—and the city’s large inventory of skyscrapers—New York is more energy efficient than the national average. So says a new report, released by Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s office, that tracked the energy usage of the city’s largest commercial and multi-family buildings. More than 24,000 buildings that feature over 50,000 square feet were measured in the study.

The research, prepared by the Natural Resources Defense Council, showed that in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, New York City’s buildings had a median score of 67 out of 100. The national average is 50. The city’s rankings were in line with Boston and other Northeast cities, however, where the building stock is likely of a similar age.