PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Isabel Friedman, Advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on Intro 994
2:43:31
·
109 sec
Isabel Friedman from NRDC expresses strong support for Intro 994, which aims to require cooling in residential buildings, while highlighting several considerations for the council as they finalize the bill's language. She emphasizes the need for prioritizing vulnerable populations and addressing energy affordability.
- Recommends applying cooling requirements to all new residential building construction
- Suggests prioritizing vulnerable populations through phased implementation or specific bill language
- Emphasizes the importance of energy affordability for low-income New Yorkers to effectively use cooling devices
Isabel Friedman
2:43:31
Good afternoon, chair Sanchez and members of the committee on housing building.
2:43:35
My name is Isabel Friedman, and I'm an advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
2:43:39
NRDC strongly supports the intention and objective of intro 994.
2:43:43
We highlight several issues for the council's consideration as it develops the final language of this bill.
2:43:49
First, there can be little question that a cooling requirement should apply to all new residential building construction.
2:43:54
This is consistent with plan yc, which set the goal of codifying cooling requirements in new construction by 2025.
2:44:01
Heat pumps, passive cooling, and other cooling efficient mechanisms
Lincoln Restler
2:44:04
can be
Isabel Friedman
2:44:05
used to mitigate an increased an an increased load on the grid and unnecessary additional greenhouse gas emission.
2:44:12
2nd, we need to prioritize vulnerable populations in the implementation of this bill.
2:44:16
Black New Yorkers, New Yorkers over the age of 60, and those with chronic conditions, as well as those living under the federal poverty line have a higher risk of heat related mortality.
2:44:25
We must prioritize these populations either through a phased implementation of the cooling requirement or through the specifying of bill language.
2:44:32
A third challenge to be resolved is how to ensure that low income New Yorkers can afford to run the air conditioners they already own or that are installed by building owners.
2:44:40
We need to prioritize energy affordability because even if low income New Yorkers have air conditioners, the issue of extreme heat isn't solved unless they can run them.
2:44:48
Two final points.
2:44:49
We believe that a thoughtfully designed bill can be advanced in a way that doesn't conflict with Local Law 97 and impose a double burden on landlords.
2:44:57
We also believe that tenant protections against evictions and rent increases associated with installing cooling devices must be assured, either as part of this bill or through other legislative or administrative mechanisms.
2:45:08
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this important issue.
2:45:11
My NRDC colleague, Eric Goldstein, and I, as long as our as well as our community partners, look forward to working with you to address these and the other issues raised in this hearing.
