New rules imposed by Denver and Colorado that require large buildings to reduce pollution will be too expensive and are at odds with federal regulations, groups representing owners and developers of office towers, hotels and apartment complexes allege in a lawsuit filed this week.
The lawsuit names as defendants the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and its executive director, the Colorado Energy Office and its executive director and the Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency and its executive director, as well as the Denver City Council and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.
Building owners could meet early goals by adding insulation, LED lighting and new windows, which are relatively inexpensive upgrades. Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings are not the largest source of air pollution, and there are better ways to achieve reductions, Hamrick said. To meet the new state regulations and the rules for the largest buildings in Denver, property owners will need to conduct assessments of their current emissions to establish a baseline. Then they will have to reassess every so often to figure out what progress has been made.
Neither hotel is in compliance with the new rules and would need to spend significant capital to modify their buildings in the coming years, according to their declarations that are included in the lawsuit.