Fall 2017
Clean Energy Community News
Moving our communities toward sustainability.
Director's Corner
Director of Sustainability, CDRPC, todd@cdrpc.org
Welcome to the fifth edition of the eastern Upstate NY Territory's Clean Energy Communities (CEC) quarterly newsletter. The CEC program, funded by NYSERDA, is delivered by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission through a unique partnership of regional agencies, including the Adirondack North Country Association, the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, and the Hudson Valley Regional Council. The Team is also supported by Climate Action Associates, LLC and Courtney Strong Inc. Communities across the Territory have been receiving technical support and are actively completing "High Impact Actions" in their pursuit of CEC Designation.
Communities must complete four actions to become designated. Currently, 97 communities within the Territory completed a total of 265 actions, 38 communities are officially designated and advancing program funded projects, and numerous others are nearing the designation finish line.
Continue reading to learn about some of the exemplary actions local governments are taking to become sustainable and energy efficient. Contact your regional outreach coordinator if your community is interested in achieving CEC Designation.
Highlights from Clean Energy Economy Conference
The Adirondack North Country Association and the Capital District Regional Planning Commission co-sponsored the Clean Energy Economy Conference in Glens Falls on October 25-26. The following photos are highlights of our team's participation.
Clean Energy Communities Program participants representing Glens Falls, Town of Queensbury, Village of Northville, Town of Lake George, Town of Plattsburgh, and the Town of Franklin share their experiences with the program.
Outreach Coordinators Robyn Reynolds and Jamie Rogers, both standing, who have assisted the communities, led the session, while outreach coordinator Dan Sullivan and CAA technical support contractor Greg Mumby, both seated, look on.
Master of Ceremonies Amanda Lavigne from ANCA introduces the conference.
Clean Energy Communities Program Director for the eastern Upstate Territory, Todd Fabozzi, from CDRPC presents a session on Planning and Designing Sustainable Urbanism.
Clean Energy Communities Project Manager for the eastern Upstate Territory, Jennifer Manierre from NYSERDA, leads a group hug of officials from Glens Falls after announcing their official designation as a Clean Energy Community.
Croton-on-Hudson Becomes 'Living Lighting Laboratory'
The Village of Croton-on-Hudson was among the first communities in the Hudson Valley designated as a NYSERDA Clean Energy Community . As a leader in clean energy, Croton-on-Hudson had already completed many High Impact Action (HIA) items in its normal course of work prior to the announcement of the Clean Energy Community program.
When the Village pursued designation, one of their HIAs was determined to have passed the cutoff date. The Village did not hesitate to move forward with a fifth action.
The HIAs completed by the Village of Croton-on-Hudson were:
Benchmarking - Adopt a policy to report the energy use of buildings
LED Street Lights - Convert street lights to energy efficient LED technology
Solarize - Undertake a local solarize campaign to increase the number of solar rooftops
Unified Solar Permit - Streamline the approvals process for solar
Energize New York Finance - Offer energy upgrade financing to businesses and non-profits
After NYSERDA approved four of the HIAs, Croton-on-Hudson earned the Clean Energy Community designation and was eligible to submit a grant application online
to fund a clean energy project. The NYSERDA grant funds up to $250,000, with no local cost share, to support additional clean energy projects.
_________________________________
To apply, a community must agree to:
Develop a clean energy project idea that meets grant funding guidelines, eligibility requirements, and scoring criteria.
Submit the grant application online. NYSERDA reviews applications and makes awards quarterly.
Croton-on-Hudson applied for an LED lighting project to help municipalities in New York State overcome barriers to rapid adoption of new lighting technology. Croton proposed to turn its Kellerhouse Municipal building into a "living lighting laboratory" to compare nine tubular LED (TLED) lamp options to each other and to the standard T8 fluorescent lamp used in most municipal buildings.
The project is currently being reviewed by NYSERDA.
City of Rome Begins Updating Its Code Enforcement Fleet
The city of Rome, in Oneida County, is one of four communities in the Mohawk Valley to benamed a Clean Energy Community. Under the current leadership of Mayor Jacqueline M. Izzo, the city completed four of NYSERDA's High Impact Actions (HIAs) quickly and efficiently.
The four HIAs completed were:
Benchmarking - Adopt a policy to report the energy use of buildings
Clean Fleets - Install electric vehicle charging stations or deploy alternative fuel vehicles
Unified Solar Permit - Streamline the approvals process for solar
Energy Code Enforcement Training - Train compliance officers in energy code best practices.
Mayor Izzo worked closely with Mark Domenico, Chief Code Enforcement Officer; Dennis Gillen, Housing Inspector; and Mike Brown of the Rome Main Street Alliance, to complete the HIAs in a timely manner. Most notable was the speed with which the Energy Code Enforcement Training was completed. There was near-perfect coordination and timing among trainers, contractors, and Code Enforcement staff to complete the module in record time. This was due to the team's excellent communication skills.
Grants from NYSERDA are available to local governments that earn the Clean Energy Community designation. The city secured a grant from NYSERDA for $100,000, no taxpayer match required, to purchase three electric vehicles to be utilized by their Codes and Assessor's offices. These vehicles will not only decrease the carbon emissions and help the environment, but will save taxpayers the added expense of funding new vehicles. The project is currently in the implementation phase.
Mayor Jacqueline M. Izzo
The Eastern NY CEC Welcomes its Newest Clean Energy Communities Coordinator
Jill Falchi joined CDRPC in 2017 as a Sustainability Planner, working with communities around the region to implement the goals and objectives of the Clean Energy Communities program. Jill received a bachelor's degree in environmental policy from Union College and a master's degree from the University of Colorado.
Prior to joining CDPRC, she worked as a Planning Technician for Park County in Colorado. She's a native New Yorker, born and raised in Utica, loves hiking, and is excited to explore the Catskills region.
She is looking forward to helping the small towns and villages in Greene and Rensselaer Counties access the CEC designation and grant funding.
Jill can be reached at jill.falchi@cdrpc.org.
Workshops and Webinars Held Throughout the Eastern NY Territory
Clean Energy Community Coordinators provide free technical assistance and consulting services to local governments participating in the Clean Energy Communities program. The Eastern NY territory team hosts live workshops and online webinars to provide detailed information on specific high-impact actions and case studies of communities that have moved forward with implementation.
The most recent workshop was hosted by ANCA in Plattsburgh, NY. The Mid-Hudson Street Light Consortium, a project supported by NYSERDA, addressed municipal officials about the benefits of converting to LED street lights and the steps necessary to convert.
By replacing conventional street lights with energy-efficient LED technology, communities can reduce street light energy use by as much as 65 percent, generating cost savings and emission reductions. In addition, street light projects can contribute to creating a well-lit, safer, and more attractive community.
View Presentation:
On September 7, 2017, the Capital District Regional Planning Commission hosted an online webinar to help municipalities maximize their building's energy efficiency. Replacing outdated equipment with new smart and efficient technologies positions municipalities to save energy and money. These upgrades include energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in municipal buildings and facilities.
Clean energy upgrades show leadership and contribute to building healthier, more vibrant communities where people want to live and work. State programs can help municipalities implement projects with no or low up-front cost while generating net savings to improve their bottom line. Upgrades can help communities earn credit toward the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities designation.
View Webinar:
CEC in the News
A selection of news stories from around the Eastern New York Territory that demonstrate the great work that communities are doing, as they learn about and join the Clean Energy Communities Program:
Mid-Hudson
Kingston plans to use NY state money to install storm windows at City Hall
County Executive Molinaro Forwards Resolution to Legislature for Purchase of Electric Vehicles
Sullivan County named Climate Smart Community
North Country
County OKs electric car charging stations
Designated Eastern NY Clean Energy Communities
The following communities demonstrated their commitment to clean energy by participating in the Clean Energy Communities Program. These communities completed at least four High Impact Actions to earn the Clean Energy Communities designation.
Mid-Hudson
Ulster County
Town of New Castle
Village of Dobbs Ferry
City of Kingston
Town of Red Hook
Town of Rosendale
Village of Hastings-on-Hudson
Village of Croton-on-Hudson
City of White Plains
City of Yonkers
Town of Ossining
Town of Somers
Town of Marbletown
City of New Rochelle
City of Beacon
Town of Mamaroneck
City of Peekskill
Village of Goshen
Sullivan County
Capital Region
Albany County
Town of Bethlehem
Schenectady County
City of Cohoes
Town of Niskayuna
Town of Knox
City of Albany
Town of Clifton Park
City of Glens Falls
North Country
Lewis County
Town of Franklin
Village of Canton
Town of Plattsburgh
Village of Champlain
Village of Saranac Lake
Mohawk Valley
City of Gloversville
Village of Ilion
City of Rome
Village of Boonville
For a full list of communities throughout New York State, visit the NYSERDA website.
