# Building decarbonization software that keeps every emissions limit, filing date and penalty exposure on one record

> Building decarbonization local law compliance is the annual work of proving that a covered building met the emissions or energy limit its city or state set for it. New York City Local Law 97 covers buildings over 25,000 gross square feet and charges $268 for every metric ton above the annual limit. Boston starts at 20,000 square feet or 15 residential units. Washington sets its first Tier 1 deadline at June 1, 2026. Neurobird holds the limit, the meter data and the filing on one record.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/decarbonization/
- Product: Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance Compliance Platform
- Niche: building decarbonization local law compliance
- Buyer: building owners and managing agents
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-22

## What Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance does

- Hold each building's coverage test and annual limit beside the meter data that proves the number
- Run one reporting calendar across every city and state rule the portfolio is actually subject to
- Show penalty exposure in dollars per year rather than in tons nobody can price
- Keep the certified filing, the supporting workbook and the adjustment application in one place

## How it works

1. **Establish coverage** Square footage, tax lot, occupancy group and residential unit count decide which law applies, from the 25,000 square foot New York City threshold to the 20,000 square foot Boston rule.
2. **Track the gap** Meter data rolls up against the annual limit month by month, so the shortfall is visible while there is still time to act on it rather than in the week the report is due.
3. **File and defend** The certified report, the workbook behind it and any adjustment or mitigation application stay attached to the building, which is where an enforcement notice will arrive.

## From the source material

> Building decarbonization refers to activities and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and is a key strategy for meeting California’s long-term climate goals.

Source: California Energy Commission, building decarbonization, https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/building-decarbonization

## Industry context

- **25,000 square feet** Gross floor area above which a New York City building is covered by Local Law 97. Two or more buildings on the same tax lot are covered when they exceed 50,000 gross square feet together, as are condominium buildings governed by one board of managers. (source: NYC Department of Buildings, https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/ll97-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reductions.page)
- **$268** Civil penalty per metric ton for the difference between a building's annual emissions limit and its reported emissions, applied to an owner who filed a report showing the limit was exceeded. (source: NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6, https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/local_laws/ll97of2019.pdf)
- **$0.50** Penalty per square foot of gross floor area for each month a required annual report stays unfiled, running through the 12 months after the deadline. No penalty applies to a compliant report filed within 60 days of its due date. (source: NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6.2, https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/local_laws/ll97of2019.pdf)
- **$500,000** Maximum fine for knowingly making a material false statement in a filing, which is also a misdemeanor carrying up to 30 days imprisonment, alongside a civil penalty of up to the same amount. (source: NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6.3, https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/local_laws/ll97of2019.pdf)
- **20,000 square feet** Boston's BERDO threshold for non residential buildings, alongside residential buildings of 15 or more units and any tax parcel whose buildings sum to either figure. A mixed use parcel counts as residential when half or more of its gross floor area is residential. (source: City of Boston BERDO, https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/berdo)
- **$5,000** Washington's administrative penalty ceiling for failing to document compliance with the clean buildings standard, plus a continuing violation amount of up to $1 per year per gross square foot. Tier 1 deadlines run June 1, 2026 above 220,000 square feet, June 1, 2027 above 90,000, and June 1, 2028 above 50,000. (source: RCW 19.27A.210, https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.27A.210)

## Pricing

- Single building: $179 per month
- Portfolio: $699 per month
- Institutional: $1,850 per month

## Questions

### What is building decarbonization local law compliance?

It is the obligation to report, and in most cases to reduce, the emissions or energy use of a building under a city or state performance standard. New York City Local Law 97 is the best known: buildings over 25,000 gross square feet report annually and pay $268 for every metric ton above the limit. Boston, Washington State and a growing list of other jurisdictions run their own versions.

### What are the Local Law 97 penalties?

Exceeding the annual limit costs the excess metric tons multiplied by $268. Failing to file costs up to $0.50 per square foot of gross floor area for each month the report is late, through the 12 months after the deadline, with a grace route for a compliant report filed within 60 days. A knowing material false statement carries a fine of up to $500,000.

### When is the annual report due?

Article 320 buildings file with the New York City Department of Buildings by May 1 each year, and the report must be certified by a registered design professional. Article 321 buildings, which include certain affordable housing and houses of worship, file a compliance report on the same date.

### Does this replace our energy consultant?

No. The consultant models the retrofit and the design professional certifies the filing. This holds the coverage test, the limit, the meter history, the filing and the penalty exposure in one place so both of them are working from the same numbers.

### Can it handle a portfolio across several cities?

Yes. Each building carries its own coverage test and its own clock, so a New York City asset on a May 1 cycle and a Washington Tier 1 asset on a June 1, 2026 deadline sit in the same calendar without being forced into the same rule.

## Sources

- [NYC Local Law 97 greenhouse gas emissions reductions](https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/ll97-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reductions.page)
- [Local Law 97 of 2019, full text](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/local_laws/ll97of2019.pdf)
- [City of Boston, Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance](https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/berdo)
- [RCW 19.27A.210, Washington clean buildings performance standard](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.27A.210)
- [US EPA, building performance standards](https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-12/section-2-building-performance-standards_11-29-2022.pdf)
- [California Energy Commission, building decarbonization](https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/building-decarbonization)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/