Building Tomorrow: Conversations with Climate Solvers

Episode 29: Building toward 2030 with Laura Popa

To close out our 2026 conference, we held a fireside chat with NYC Department of Buildings' Laura Popa and Urban Green CEO Chris Halfnight. We're excited to share this sp

Episode 28: Meeting the multifamily moment

NYC’s multifamily buildings are at a crossroads: LL97 deadlines are approaching, summers are getting hotter, and the economics of electrification remain stubbornly comple

Episode 27: On energy insecurity with Diana Hernández

Energy insecurity impacts approximately 1 in 3 U.S. households, with many more at risk. In this fireside chat, Diana Hernández, author of Powerless: The People’s Struggle

Episode 26: How to Sell Decarbonization in 2026

For this episode of Building Tomorrow, we’re excited to share another live taping from our 2026 conference held on June 3 at NYU. In this session, our panelists draw from

Episode 25: Keynote Conversation with NYC Comptroller Mark Levine

For this episode of Building Tomorrow, we're excited to share our live conversation with New York City Comptroller Mark Levine! At our 2026 conference, the city’s comptro

Episode 24: Uncovering Energy Insecurity with Diana Hernández

“Recognition is the first step to justice,” says Diana Hernández, co-author of Powerless: The People’s Struggle for Energy.  In the U.S., energy insecurity impacts over

Episode 23: NYC's Grid in Transition

In this episode of Building Tomorrow, we delve into the state of New York City’s electrical grid, whether it can handle building electrification today and what is needed

Episode 22: New York State’s Energy Plan: The Path to 2040

In this episode of Building Tomorrow, we’re introducing you to New York State’s Energy Plan, the policy that will guide energy-related decision making for the next 15 yea

Episode 21: Banking on Climate

In this episode of Building Tomorrow, guest host Adam Schiabor interviews NYCEDC’s Jamie Horton and NYU Stern Center’s Marianna Koval to discuss the recent report, Bankin

Episode 20: Statewide Benchmarking in NY: A Path to Climate Progress, with Danielle Manley

In this episode of "Building Tomorrow," we delve into New York State's ambitious climate goals and the pivotal role buildings play in achieving them. New data analysis

Episode 19: Built to Last - Resilience in Every Retrofit (Live from Urban Green Conference)

Live from Urban Green's 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Building Tomorrow features an exciting conversation about how resilience is shaping building desig

Episode 18: Boosting the Grid with Battery Storage (Live from Urban Green Conference)

Live from Urban Green's 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Building Tomorrow features an exciting conversation about the future of battery storage on the gri

Episode 17: Funding the Future of Decarbonization (Live from Urban Green Conference)

Live from Urban Green's 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Building Tomorrow features an exciting conversation about a new concept for a program that would d

Episode 16: Educating Building Operators for a Green Future

The 32BJ Training Fund provides free training to eligible 32BJ SEIU workers, ranging from cleaners, maintenance workers, building engineers, and superintendents so they c

Episode 15: Navigating the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest climate action ever taken by the federal government. In this episode of Building Tomorrow, hear from Amanda Clevinger and Ion S

Episode 14: Heating with Ice

In this episode of Building Tomorrow, Mark MacCracken, the Vice President of CALMAC at Trane Technologies, joins host Ellen Honigstock and co-host Whitney Smith to discus

Episode 13: Unearthing Geothermal Energy

To decarbonize New York City buildings, heating systems reliant on fossil fuels must be replaced with sustainable alternatives. In this episode of Building Tomorrow, Brig

Episode 12: Commissioning, You Complete Me!

Building systems are designed and installed separately, but at the end of the day, they have to work together in order for a building to work as intended. Commissioning m

Episode 11: Historic Buildings, Modern Policies

Retrofitting existing buildings can help increase energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions. But what do these retrofits look like in a place like Manhattan, where almos

Episode 10: Workforce Solutions for Decarbonizing Buildings

The first compliance period for Local Law 97 is here, and energy upgrades in NYC’s existing buildings will need to pick up. But what kind of upgrades are needed, and who