New York is investing nearly $28 million in energy efficiency and electrification upgrades across thousands of homes, with a focus on affordable housing and disadvantaged communities.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the funding Friday as part of the Empire Building Challenge, a statewide initiative to modernize large buildings and cut climate pollution. The 10 selected projects cover more than 123,000 residential units, including over 13,000 affordable housing units, and are expected to spark more than $150 million in private investment.
“New York State is once again leading by example,” Governor Hochul said. “These projects are another step toward a cleaner, healthier future for all New Yorkers.”
Focus on clean energy, equity, and innovation
Each project received up to $3 million to demonstrate how buildings — especially older, multifamily ones — can be retrofitted to eliminate fossil fuel use, improve indoor air quality, and lower operating costs. Many of the 22 buildings are located in communities prioritized by the state’s Climate Justice Working Group.
Projects include:
- Geothermal heating and thermal storage at sites in Harlem and Brooklyn
- Full building electrification in the Bronx, Syracuse, and Staten Island
- Senior and affordable housing upgrades in Astoria, Amherst, and East Harlem
- High-rise retrofits in Manhattan, including a 608-unit building on East 68th Street
Partners include local nonprofits, housing authorities, and real estate firms working with engineering and design teams to develop replicable low-carbon solutions. In total, the program now supports 19 demonstration projects across 400 million square feet of real estate statewide.
Tools and resources for building owners
To help scale these efforts, NYSERDA also updated the Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings — a free resource that features case studies, technical guides, and a new toolkit on heat recovery and design strategies. The goal is to help more building owners and engineers plan carbon-cutting upgrades.
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