Advancing Low Carbon Construction Projects

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York State Department of Transportation has received a $32 million grant to advance the use of low carbon materials in construction projects. The funding from the Federal Highway Administration will help further NYSDOT’s ongoing efforts to identify and use construction materials that have lower levels of embodied carbon, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The money was provided via the Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants program, which was established under the Inflation Reduction Act and provides funding for the use of construction materials that result in substantially lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Whether it’s droughts, wildfires or record-breaking snowstorms, New Yorkers are feeling the effects of climate change in their daily lives, and these low carbon grants are an important tool in our efforts to stop it,” Governor Hochul said. “This funding from the Biden-Harris Administration will help us use cleaner materials in our transportation projects, which will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere and advance our battle against climate change.”

Embodied carbon refers to the estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced during the stages of a building or infrastructure’s life cycle. Embodied carbon accounts for about one-third of the carbon emissions from the construction industry. Selecting and procuring lower embodied carbon materials requires transparency around the embodied carbon associated with a given material or product, to allow for comparisons.

The funding will allow NYSDOT’s Low Carbon Transportation Materials program to continue to work to identify low carbon materials, adopt lower carbon specifications for large volume materials for state projects and develop standards for reducing the environmental impact from construction materials. Specifically, the funding will help NYSDOT:

• Develop and implement outreach and training for agency staff and industry stakeholders.
• Evaluate low carbon materials to ensure they meet technical and performance requirements.
• Develop or update technical specifications to allow for use of materials, products and strategies that result in lower embodied carbon materials.
• Establish a process to identify, verify and use materials with lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Kathy Hochul has made it clear that the fight against global warming demands that we leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Embodied carbon is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and these federal funds will help NYSDOT continue to lead the way in identifying and utilizing more climate friendly materials so we can safeguard our environment for future generations.”

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “This is a win-win: boosting construction projects with ‘Made in the USA’ materials and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the Empire State. I am proud to deliver this $32 million in federal funding from my Inflation Reduction Act to help pave the way for more low-carbon materials in transportation projects across New York. This funding, alongside funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law and other IRA programs, are laying the foundation for long overdue construction projects, all while lowering carbon emissions and energizing the economy. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s work putting these federal dollars to good use.”

About the Department of Transportation

It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

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