Monday 10 January 2011

Empire State Building goes green

The Empire State Building is to meet all its electricity needs through wind power.

The building is to buy renewable energy from Texas-based Green Mountain Energy in what is being called the biggest commercial renewable energy deal yet carried out in New York.

Bosses of the 102-storey building, which has been undergoing a $20m energy saving retrofit, said that the reductions in carbon emissions move would be the equivalent of turning off the lights in nearly every house in New York state for a week.

Green Mountain chief executive Paul Thomas said: "We are extremely pleased that an icon like the world-famous Empire State Building made this important commitment to support renewable energy. This announcement is historic for many reasons. In addition to being the largest commercial consumer of green power in New York City, the Empire State Building's renewable power purchase is now the largest purchase in our company's 13-year history. This demonstrates that... going green doesn't have to be a trade-off."

The Empire State Building was completed in 1931 and for more than 40 years the tallest building in New York, until the building of the World Trade Centre. Following the 9/11 attacks, it is again the tallest in the city.