CJI Organizes Empire State Plaza Decarbonization Tour

On March 11, the Climate Jobs Institute partnered with the New York State Office of General Services (OGS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to host a legislative discussion and site tour of the ongoing Empire State Plaza (ESP) decarbonization project in Albany. The ESP project is a key part of the State’s Decarbonization Leadership Program, which aims to decarbonize and electrify New York’s largest-emitting state facilities.

The event opened with an in-depth briefing from OGS and NYPA staff, highlighting the scope and significance of the ESP project. The Empire State Plaza emits roughly 90,000 MT of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, the equivalent of annual emissions from over 12,000 homes. The project is designed to eliminate these emissions entirely through a phased approach over the coming years.

Following the briefing, attendees toured two different facilities. 

First, they visited the underground chiller plant, a central hub for cooling the massive complex. Next, the group explored the off-site steam plant, which provides heating across the roughly 98-acre and 12-million-square-foot campus. The ESP complex requires significant resources for heating and cooling. 

Buildings are the largest source of emissions in NYS. In several reports, including 2025’s “Key Interventions: How New York Can Still Achieve Its Climate, Jobs, and Equity Mandates,” CJI has detailed various ways the public sector can lead in decarbonizing its own footprint. The ESP project is a good example of how New York is leading in this area.

This event follows CJI’s recent tour of the Steamfitters Local 638 training facility in New York City. By organizing tours, site visits, and ongoing conversations, CJI hopes to advance understanding of various decarbonization and high-quality job creation projects in and around New York for policymakers and union leaders alike.