Nelson Backs Initiative For Greener Public Housing

City Councilman Michael Nelson emerged as a proponent of green initiatives of public housing, backing a plan to monitor energy and water usage that would save the city money and reduce waste.

The initiative, a part of the Municipal Entrepreneurial Testing System, will be deployed at 25 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) buildings, pairing technology startups with municipal buildings to track usage in an effort to cut-down NYCHA’s annual $500 million energy bills. Additionally, using EnergyScoreCards in the 25 buildings, the program will identify NYCHA buildings in need of upgrades.

“Any reduction in those costs releases funds that could be used elsewhere,” NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea told NYCHA Journal.

Launched in April, the Municipal Entrepreneurial Testing System is a program that pairs tech startups with municipal buildings, allowing them to test their green tech products in the buildings to prove their effectiveness in real-world conditions.

“The availability of city owned property for testing products under real world conditions will improve the environmental performance in buildings and will provide a new source of jobs for New Yorkers outside the traditional financial sector, and contribute to the growth of new companies and industries in New York City,” Nelson said when the program launched in April.

The system is an initiative led by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Nelson and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.