NYPA Press Release
News Published:10/15/2025
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Met Contact
New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services, New York Power Authority, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Announce $25 Million in Planned Energy Efficiency Improvements
City-Funded Investment will Upgrade Gallery Lighting and Control Systems at
The Met, the Most Visited Art Museum in the U.S.
Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 15, Photo by Brian Rodriguez
NEW YORK— Officials from the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the New York Power Authority (NYPA), and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) today announced a nearly $25 million energy efficiency project to equip the Museum with state-of-the-art sustainable lighting technologies. The project entails the installation of nearly 20,000 LED lighting fixtures across 324 of the Museum’s galleries and the replacement of 16 comprehensive lighting control systems, in service of The Met’s mission to present and preserve its collection of art. The initiative kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony held at The Met’s 2000-year-old Temple of Dendur and is expected to be completed in 2028.
The new lighting system — which was developed in close collaboration with technical experts, lighting designers, curators, and conservators — will significantly improve the illumination and visual clarity of gallery exhibitions and help to preserve works on display through emitting less waste heat. Newly installed lighting controls will also enhance operational efficiency and flexibility through allowing The Met to remotely monitor, schedule and control the gallery lighting.The project will reduce The Met’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by almost 2,000 MTCO2e, which is the equivalent of removing over 400 cars from the road.
“Investing in energy efficiency is a critical part of our commitment to a more sustainable and resilient New York City, and this new effort at the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art is one for the ages,” saidDCAS Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “Through this partnership with NYPA and The Met, we are reducing energy consumption, lowering costs, and ensuring that one of the world’s greatest cultural institutions remains environmentally responsible. These upgrades will help preserve invaluable works of art while advancing the city’s decarbonization goals, demonstrating the power of collaboration in building a greener future.”
“The Met is one of the finest and most iconic museums in the world, presenting and preserving art for millions of New York residents and visitors each year,” saidNYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “The new NYPA-installed energy efficient lighting will illuminate the museum's collections and significantly cut its operating and maintenance costs. The Power Authority’s continued collaboration with DCAS showcases the City and State’s shared commitment to developing energy efficient solutions that support the institutions that define our communities.”
Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEOcommented, “We are deeply grateful for the enormously generous contributions of DCAS and NYPA for this important project, which supports The Met's commitment to sustainability and our mission to connect all people--including our millions of yearly visitors from across New York City and beyond--to creativity, knowledge and ideas.”
The installation is one of the most complex energy efficiency projects ever led by DCAS, which oversees New York City’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions from government operations 50% by 2030, as mandated by the City’s landmark climate policy, Local Law 97 of 2019.The project advances one of the key tenants of DCAS’ strategy to curb GHG emissions through improving the energy efficiency and operations of key building systems.The project is fully funded through City capital funds managed by DCAS and will be overseen by DCAS’ team of in-house lighting experts in partnership with NYPA.
Through FY23, the City has achieved a 26% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from government operations compared to the FY06 baseline, along with an overall 14% reduction in energy consumption compared to a five-year average from FY06-FY10. Since FY14, DCAS and its partner agencies’ work towards these goals has generated over 460,000 MTCO2e in annual GHG emissions reduction – the equivalent of removing approximately 100,000 cars from the road—and a reduction in energy consumption of 5.4 million MMBtu, which is equivalent to the annual energy use of over 380,000 NYC households. This work has also saved the City $150 million in annual energy costs.
New York State has made energy efficiency a cornerstone of its energy policies. The Power Authority’s energy efficiency program has implemented more than $4 billion in energy efficiency measures throughout New York at state, local and municipal government facilities. The energy efficiency measures include LED lighting installations, heat pumps, new high efficiency boiler replacements, updated controls, heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades that will reduce natural gas consumption and related clean energy solutions. Over the last five years, NYPA has implemented energy efficiency projects totaling nearly $500 million for its New York City governmental customers, with additional projects totaling $500 million currently underway.
About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:
- Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
- Managing 55 public buildings.
- Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
- Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
- Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
- Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.
Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcasand by following us onX,Instagram,Facebook,LinkedIn, and listening to theInside Citywide podcast.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 17 generating facilities and more than 1,550 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visitwww.nypa.gov and follow us onTwitter,Facebook,Instagram,Tumblr andLinkedIn.
About The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens—businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day—who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. Today, The Met displays tens of thousands of objects covering 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.