Fall/Winter 2018
Clean Energy Community News
Moving our communities toward sustainability.
Director's Corner
Director of Sustainability, CDRPC, todd@cdrpc.org
Welcome to the ninth edition of the Eastern Upstate NY Territory's Clean Energy Communities (CEC) quarterly newsletter. The CEC program, funded by NYSERDA, is delivered within the Territory by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission through a unique partnership of regional agencies, which includes 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 are receiving technical support and actively completing "High Impact Actions" in their pursuit of CEC Designation. Communities must complete four actions to achieve CEC designation. Currently, 177 communities within the Territory have completed a total of 535 actions, 98 communities are officially designated and advancing program funded projects, and many others are nearing the designation finish line.
Continue reading to learn about recent program activities and 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 becoming a Clean Energy Community.
Case Studies Show Creative Uses of Clean Energy Communities Grants
At the ANCA Clean Energy Economy Conference in Glens Falls this fall, attendees learned at first hand about the catalytic power of the Clean Energy Communities program. Jim Yienger, principal of Climate Action Associates, provided case studies of municipal energy efficiency projects that have been proposed or are already underway.
The case studies had in common a focus on making older municipal buildings more efficient. The goal, as always, is to implement the energy efficiency measures within the budgetary constraints of a small municipality.
The Town of Malone Highway Garage
The town has undertaken a $100,000 highway garage upgrade. The 15,000 square foot building had failing roof insulation, causing rain and condensation to penetrate the roof, especially in winter. The Town had been spending $25,000 a year on fuel oil for this single building.
With a $50,000 grant from Clean Energy Communities, the Town elected to insulate the roof with 5 inches of closed cell spray foam and apply a coating to extend the roof's life. These combined measures will save $12,000 a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 47 tons per year.
Town of Westport Town Hall
Town of Westport used a $50,000 CEC grant to offset the energy costs in a large project ($900,000) that focused on historic preservation by means of improvements to the building envelope, including insulation. The additional energy measures were installing air source electric mini-spit heat pumps ($15,000) and developing a $35,000 solar array to power the building. Together, these two improvements will reduce fuel oil use by 75% and GHG emissions by 18.5 tons.
Clean Energy Communities Coordinators Take Munis on a Hands-On Solar Bus Tour in Orange County
Clean Energy Community Coordinators (CECCs) provide free technical assistance and consulting services to local governments participating in the Clean Energy Communities program . CECCs have the unique opportunity to hear questions and concerns that municipal officials have regarding clean energy projects. In late October, the Mid-Hudson CECCs decided to tackle head on the concerns about large-scale solar with a solar bus tour in Orange County.
A total of 55 municipal officials from throughout the region met in Orange County and boarded a tour bus to learn first-hand from their peers. The tour visited three successful sites that each encountered different challenges or took different paths on the road to large-scale solar success. In between locations, tour participants heard from experts in the field about harnessing public support, siting, connectivity, and project financing.
See agenda for full list of speakers.
The tour began with a drive-by of a solar array at Orange County's Emergency Management Center and continued on to visit a 2MW installation at the Warwick Valley Central School District that offsets the electricity usage of an entire school district; a 66 kW solar array sited behind the Town of Wawayanda Town Hall; and a 2MW installation on a municipal capped landfill in the Town of Wallkill.
The Hudson Valley Regional Council organized a very useful resources document for participants and all communities throughout the region.
The Eastern NY Clean Energy Communities team organizes quarterly workshops for municipal officials throughout the region. The topics are always current and relatable to the concerns of the region. If you have yet to attend a workshop or connected with your local CECC, we encourage you to do so.
Left to Right: CECCs Niklas Moran, HVRC; Jill Falchi, and Tara Donadio, CDRPC; Europa McGovern and Carla Castillo, HVRC; and Jennifer Manierre and Robert Biederman, NYSERDA
Clean Energy Economy Conference Highlights Disruptive Innovations
Opening remarks by ANCA's Amanda Lavigne.
Thank you to all who attended the 2018 Clean Energy Economy Conference (CEEC) in Glens Falls! We were inspired by the way our region's clean energy leaders are forging a sustainable and resilient clean energy future.
In its seventh year, the CEEC facilitates peer-to-peer collaboration and the exchange of knowledge between clean energy marketplace participants and champions. This year highlighted disruptive innovations that are contributing to the transformational changes in the clean energy sector. An innovation that is disruptive allows a whole new population of consumers at the bottom of a market access to a product or service that was historically only accessible to a small amount of consumers.
Workshops allowed practitioners from across the industry (municipal leaders, private partners, non-profits, etc.) ample opportunity to share and learn how we do good work that brings benefit to our communities while meeting goals and forming valuable partnerships.
Greg Mumby and Jim Yienger (seated) from Climate Action Associates highlight clean energy projects funded through the Clean Energy Communities Program.
Representatives from Westerlo, Greenville, Westport, Niskayuna and Clifton Park discuss their experiences with the Clean Energy Communities Program
More Than 200 Communities Across the State Have Completed Over 1,250 Clean Energy Actions
The Clean Energy Community designation recognizes community leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy, all supporting the state's clean energy goals. The Clean Energy Community initiative advances the Governor's Reforming the Energy Vision strategy by demonstrating the importance of communities in helping New York achieve the state's goal to supply 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030.
"New York is a national leader in combating climate change, and this significant milestone demonstrates that communities in every corner of this great state are committed to our efforts to create a more sustainable future," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "These 200 communities serve as a model for cities and towns across this state and this nation to reduce energy use and preserve our environment for generations to come."
Announced by Governor Cuomo in August 2016, the $16 million Clean Energy Communities initiative supports local governments across the state by providing grants to eligible municipalities to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects in their communities.
Overall, the 1,255 high-impact clean energy action items were completed by communities representing more than 86 percent of the state's population in 60 counties and all 10 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) regions. Some of the largest communities across New York State have been designated Clean Energy Communities, including the City of New York, Albany County, St. Lawrence County, Suffolk County and the Town of Hempstead.
View a map showing Clean Energy Communities, actions completed and communities engaged in the Clean Energy Communities initiative
Designated Eastern NY Clean Energy Communities
A total of 89 communities have been named Clean Energy Communities in the Eastern NY Region. The following table highlights participation in each region.
For a full list of communities throughout New York State, visit the NYSERDA website .
