Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) has announced the purchase of 300 million kilowatt-hours of wind energy from Green Mountain Energy and Direct Energy.
In effect, this means that the skyscraper and its associated offices will not be directly connected to wind farms, but the company will pay for the renewable energy needed to run the Empire State Building.
A complete transition to renewable energy will avoid the production of about 204 million kilograms of carbon dioxide.
Experts estimate that the amount of electricity purchased would be enough to light all homes in New York State for a month.
New York offices are known to be one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Buildings in the city generate more than two-thirds of carbon emissions.
“More and more homeowners are realizing the critical role that their activities play in combating climate change,” said Donna De Costanzo, director of the climate and clean energy at the Council for the Protection of Natural Resources.
ERST hopes that the complete transition to renewable energy with the help of Green Mountain Energy will avoid the production of about 450 million pounds (204 million kilograms) of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to CO2 emissions generated by all New York City taxis in a year.