Council Set To Pass Bill That'll Fine Stores That Waste A/C

Five years ago New Yorkers and much of the eastern seaboard dealt with a massive blackout. The main reason that happened was a poorly maintained power grid in the country. However, blackouts still occur and one of the biggest culprits is the massive taxation of power that our collective use puts on the system. Especially in the summer, the air conditioners crank up and use a ridiculous amount of power. In this walking city, tourists and locals alike are lured in on the hot days with air conditioning that pours out onto the street. They figure the extra utility bill cost is worth the extra foot traffic, but seldom consider the effect on the city's system and the environmental cost. Now some of the polluters will have to pay more for their wastefulness.

From The NY Times:

Councilwoman Gale A. Brewer, a Manhattan Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill, said she gets a lot of mail from residents complaining about these stores. She said electronics stores are the biggest offenders, though there are plenty of other shops on Fifth Avenue, 34th Street and other popular areas that keep their doors open.

“I’m calling it the Clyde Haberman bill,” she said, a reference to the NYC columnist for The New York Times, who has written about the topic on several occasions.

Ms. Brewer and 18 other council members signed on to the bill, which would affect any business with at least 4,000 square feet, or small stores that are part of a chain with five or more stores in the city. The Department of Consumer Affairs would issue a warning to first-time offenders who kept their exterior doors open while an air-conditioning system intended to cool the area was in use.

Stores would be fined $200 for a second offense and $400 for subsequent violations within an 18-month period.

One of the first complaints I hear about this is that the legislation is "nanny-like" and unfair to businesses in the city. The reasoning goes, "if they want to pay for the extra a/c, then it is their dime." The problem with that is life, the power grid and the planet are all connected. While citizen action has gotten some businesses to keep their doors closed and the cool air in, it hasn't been enough, just walk down 34th St. or 5th Ave and see for yourself.

Personally, I feel that this bill does not go far enough. Restaurants are left out of the equation and many of those, especially bars open multiple windows and let the chilled air out to pour onto the sidewalk and the street. Sure, it is alluring for hot and sweaty New Yorkers to sit outside while being cooled, but come on, this planet is all of ours and we have to do our part to keep it functioning.