High Impact Actions Completed (Advanced 3.0 *) 3,000 points earned:

Buildings and Facilities, County Trainings, PACE Financing, Transportation and Landscaping 

Energy Champion

The Niagara County Department of Public Works is chaired by Legislator Shawn Foti, who has embraced common sense solutions to address climate issues and encouraged the County to pursue available opportunities made available at the state and federal level.   

Niagara County is poised to take advantage of the resources and programs made available by CEC and CSC to systematically address climate and energy related challenges.  Through its participation in the CEC program, Niagara County is in a position to provide consultation to municipal leaders and community members as all navigate the dynamics and complexity of addressing matters related to climate.

In very short order, the County has been able to take advantage of federal funding to install Phase 1 of its program to install EV charging stations on public parcels.  To date, it also has initiated several other campaigns such as electric landscape equipment, community training/education, fleet assessment and NYSERDA Build-Ready nomination and selection. 

The County's advice to municipalities: Start now by connecting with the regional CEC Program Coordinators.  It is not too late!  "Even if it’s not something you think you can go after right now – have a conversation, CEC provides the flexibility for you to craft a roadmap to designation status through a variety of High Action Impacts," .says Savannah Betkowski, environmental analyst for Niagara County. "Some are heavy lifts, while others may be easily attainable. You may already be qualified to receive money for the work you have completed!"

High Impact Actions Completed (Advanced v3.0 **) 4,200 points earned

Benchmarking, Buildings and Facilities, Energy Code Enforcement Training, LED Street Lights, Transportation and Landscaping, Unified Solar Permit.

Energy Champions

The Village of Patchogue has a long history of sustainability work, going back to 2015 when Village Trustee Joseph Keyes founded Protect the Environment In Patchogue. The Village banned plastic bags well before it was state law, and today, village officials are carrying out a long term plan with Johnson Controls that has brought numerous energy upgrades to the community.  Recent and upcoming projects include acquisition of an electric F150 Lightning with a $60,000 Clean Energy Communities grant, and a solar carport at the Long Island Rail Road municipal parking lot, which will provide an offset to the municipal wastewater treatment plant, the Village's largest energy-consuming building. The Village is taking advantage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act's cash subsidies available to municipalities that undertake substantial energy reduction projects. Longtime energy champions include Mayor Paul Pontieri, Village Clerk Lori Devlin, and Dennis Smith, assistant to the mayor.

Clean Energy Coordinators, below from left: Sarah Oral, David Tepper, Andrew Manitt:

High Impact Actions (HIAs) Completed (Advance v.3 ***) 3,400 points earned: 

Benchmarking, Building and Facilities, Community Choice Aggregation, Energy Code Enforcement Training, LED Streetlights, Legislation and Regulation, Transportation and Landscaping.

Energy Champions

The Village of Owego has secured $240,000 in Clean Energy Communities grant funding for a variety of projects, with support and direction from its Climate Smart Communities Task Force. The funding will be used to purchase an electric vehicle for Code Enforcement, two Level 2 EV chargers, electric landscaping equipment and a solar array (in development) that will complete the work to achieve a Net Zero Village Hall. Energy champions include longtime volunteer Gerri Wiley, consultant Julie Nucci, former mayor Kevin Millar and Village Trustee Laura Spencer, all of whom have worked to advance clean energy programs. Ms. Wiley inaugurated their efforts several years ago with a push to adopt Community Choice Aggregation. 

The realities of increasingly devastating storms and floods have helped focus residents on the need to take actions to improve the Village's resilience. 

"We're on fire," says Ms. Nucci, as she recounts current and upcoming activities. Next up, they're collecting data to reduce energy 10 percent at the Village wastewater treatment plant. 

High Impact Actions (Advanced 3.0 ** ) 3,400 points earned:

Bench-marking Municipal Buildings, Clean Fleets Charging Stations, Climate Smart Communities Certification (Bronze), Community Campaigns, Energy Code Enforcement Training; LED Street Lights;  PACE Financing, Unified Solar Permit.

Energy Champions

The City of Glens Falls has a Clean Energy Communities/Climate Smart Communities Task Force that meets regularly, in addition to a City Sustainability Committee composed of City Council Members along with Director of Economic Development, Jeff Flagg. The City was designated a CEC in October, 2017. City officials competed for and won a $50,000 Designation Grant for replacement of their stadium lights at East Field Recreation Park, while a separate project to install LED streetlights through a program with NYSERDA included a Smart City pilot project to install dimmable lights as well as smart parking sensors in the city’s downtown core.

"We have chosen to be highly involved in the State's energy and environmental programs because of the enormous value that is embedded in these projects, from the perspective of both sustainability and economic vitality. Energy saving programs in particular are perfect example of doing well financially while doing good for the environment," says Dr. Flagg.

In the CEC Leadership Round, the City completed six actions and now, in the program's 3.0 round, they are looking to purchase electric landscaping equipment and a departmental EV, Glens Falls has recently begun running three community campaigns: Community Distributed Generation (CDG)-Community Hydro, EVs, and Clean Heating and Cooling. In addition, the City is continuing to work with the New York Power Authority, now on multiple solar projects, including two on landfill/brownfield sites.

The City’s CDG community campaign is a new take on Community Solar in that it utilizes Hydro Credits offered by Northern Power and Light, which draws power from the Boralex Hydroelectric Plant in nearby Warrensburg.

The City's Climate Smart Communities activities began in 2009, but really took off with advisory help from the Capital District Regional Planning Commission around 2015. The City earned Bronze certification in 2021, and has obtained EV charging stations through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's ZEV Rebate program as well as NYSERDA’s Charge Ready program.  The City is finishing up a 2019 CSC grant to conduct Greenhouse Gas Inventories and develop Climate Action Plans for both the municipality and the community, which it hopes to integrate into a recently-started Comprehensive Plan with sustainability elements, including Complete Streets policy, Planning for Biking and Walking, and EVs for emergency vehicles.  

High Impact Actions Completed (Advanced 3.0 ****) 7,400 points earned:

Benchmarking, Buildings and Facilities, Community Campaigns, Community Choice Aggregation, LED Street Lights, Legislation and Regulation, Transportation and Landscaping

Energy Champion

Making Cold Spring environmentally responsible is a shared goal among the Village Mayor and Board members, notes Village Trustee Laura Bozzi."The state's Clean Energy funding has been really attractive,"  she says, adding that Cold Spring is located within the Town of Philipstown and thus their Climate Smart Communities Task Forces work closely together.. With their CEC grant, the Village is acquiring a Ford F-150 Lighting electric truck for the wastewater department as well as electric landscaping equipment and will install heat pumps in Village Hall.

A food scrap recycling program funded by a small NYSERDA grant also has generated a lot of enthusiasm among Village residents, Ms. Bozzi says. 

Advice for other municipalities centers on "starting with where you're at today, and building on your successes," Ms. Bozzi advises. "The funding is very motivational."

High Impact Actions Completed  (Advanced 3.0 **) 3,000 points earned:

Benchmarking, Clean Fleets, Community Campaigns, Energy Code Enforcement Training, LED Street Lights, Legislation and Regulation, Transportation and Landscaping, Unified Solar Permit.

Energy Champion

Oneonta became motivated to tackle the CEC and CSC programs after local activists had devoted time trying to prevent the permitting of gas drilling and related activities in the region, says Patty Jacob, Chairwoman, Town of Oneonta Climate Smart Communities Task Force.  "Our committee wanted to promote energy efficiency and the judicious use of our natural resources and offer climate smart alternatives to fossil fuel infrastructure.  We feel this helps the Town economically, while protecting and encouraging a healthy environment for our residents.".

Challenges have centered on how to align the Committee's vision and work towards the climate objectives with that of the Town Board members.  "We also struggled initially with navigating the requirements of the actions, since we are a small group and learning as we go," Ms. Jacob notes.

The Town is most proud of its Complete Streets initiative.  "This will have long lasting positive implications for the climate as well as the quality of life for our residents.  We're excited about our pending grant for solar panels for the Town Hall roof, which will supply 100% of the energy needs for that building," says Ms. Jacob.

The Town's energy champions include Trish Riddell Kent, Town Board Member; Andrea Lister, Climate Task Force Member; Michael Stolzer, Climate Task Force Member; and Randy Mowers, Town Supervisor, who has been very supportive of the CSC Committee's work

The CSC committee finds it helpful to have its meetings at Town Hall, with at least one or two Town Board members or other Town employees invited to attend.  "This increases communication and promotes a better understanding of what we are working towards," explains Ms. Jacob.