Spitzer Administration Takes Green Lead

[IMGCAP(1)]NEW YORK CITY-New York State is taking a leadership position on greening its buildings–including the governor’s mansion. That was the message First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer delivered last night in a presentation and panel discussion sponsored by the US Green Building Council’s New York chapter.

[IMGCAP(2)]Wall Spitzer said the Executive Mansion in Albany would serve as “a highly visible symbol” of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to reduce energy consumption statewide 15% by 2015. She detailed other initiatives launched by the Spitzer administration, including financial incentives for homeowners to meet green criteria in building or renovating homes and a LEED program for all new construction and major renovations managed by the state’s Dormitory Authority.

However, Wall Spitzer said, sustainability is not limited to greening individual buildings but also entails managing growth. “Our current land use patterns, commonly known as sprawl, are unsustainable,” she said. “The consequences are dire.” Wall Spitzer added that development of greenfields upstate has far outpaced population increases, and noted that in the 2006 elections, voters nationwide overwhelmingly approved state and local transportation and land conservation ballot measures. She linked the concept of smart growth to the “I Live New York” initiative she launched last year to help attract and retain the state’s next generation of talent.