new york ( cnnmoney . com ) - - the empire state tower kicked off a major power - saving retrofit monday , and promoters hope one of the world ' s most influential skyscrapers can be an efficiency reality for buildings worldwide . from the cloud - shrouded observation deck on the roof ' s 80th floor , former president bill clinton , new england city mayor mayor bloomberg and others detailed $ 20 million in cutting - edge ecological activities they hope will improve electric use by 38 % for the 1930 ' s - era behemoth . they said the retrofits weren ' t blue altruism or part of a government effort . however , they say they ' re being started simply to save the building ' s owners a lots of money .
The mayor of New York is Michael Bloomberg.