Winter 2021
Clean Energy Community News
NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities Leadership Round Helps Reduce Energy Costs and Offers Support for Projects in Disadvantaged Communities
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced $17 million in funding and expanded high-impact actions under the state's Clean Energy Communities program to help drive stronger community leadership to reduce harmful carbon emissions, expand assistance for disadvantaged areas and foster further investments in the growing clean energy economy. The program's new Leadership Round increases the options a community can choose from to lower their carbon footprint, recognizes their leadership through a point rewards system, provides access to additional grant opportunities for actions taken and supports Governor Cuomo's nation-leading climate agenda, which includes a goal to direct 40 percent of the benefits from clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities. MORE...
REGIONAL ROUNDUP:
Recapping Clean Energy Communities Success Stories
“We have not only decreased our energy footprint but the town is saving a significant amount of money,” said Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling.
Photo of Moy Wong by Peg Munves
Capital District: Town of New Lebanon, Columbia County
High Impact Actions:
Benchmarking, Energy Code Enforcement Training, LED Streetlights, Unified Solar Permit, Climate Smart Communities
Energy Champions include:
Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling, Climate Smart Task Force Chair Steve Powers, and Bike Program founder Marc Anthonisen
“We are submitting our bike recycling program as an innovative approach to climate change action items in our quest for the Bronze level of Climate Smart Communities,” said Marc Anthonisen. “We believe this model is a low-cost, high-impact innovation that could be useful for other communities. Beyond reducing waste and encouraging active mobility, the bike program has had an outsized value in uniting the community and helping to communicate our climate mission. We have a very motivated group of volunteer Task Force members who came every Sunday to help get the word out about the Climate Smart Communities initiative and the bike program certainly helped to build ties with the community as well as surrounding towns.”
Capital District Clean Energy Communities Coordinators:
Tara Donadio
Tara.Donadio@cdrpc.org
Jill Henck
Jill.Henck@cdrpc.org
Capital District Regional Planning Commission
One Park Place, Suite 102
Albany, NY 12203-2626
(518) 453-0850, office
Village of Croton-on-Hudson’s 301kW solar system has 765 panels and sits atop the Department of Public Works. It provides 53 Croton-on-Hudson community households (17% of which are Low and Moderate Income) with clean, locally sourced energy to reduce electric bills and emissions.
Mid-Hudson: Village of Croton-on-Hudson, Westchester County
High Impact Actions Completed:
EV charging stations, Community Choice Aggregation, Energy Retrofits, LED Street Lights, Community Solar, Solarize Campaign, Benchmarking, Climate Smart Communities, Unified Solar Permit, and Energize NY Financing.
Energy Champions include:
Mayor Brian Pugh, Lindsay Audin and the award-winning Sustainability Committee.
Mayor Brian Pugh said, “This project is a win for everyone involved as we were able to use local labor for construction and electrical work, our cherished community members can save on their bills, and the Village gets a new roof and long-term revenue stream while working to create a cleaner environment and more a resilient energy grid.”
“Community solar is really unique in that it provides an easily-accessible opportunity for those citizens who otherwise might not be able to afford their own residential solar system but want to progress and improve the current state of renewables while saving on their bills,” said (Mr.) Lindsay Audin, Chair of Croton’s Sustainability Committee.
Mid-Hudson Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Anilla Cherian, PhD
acherian@hudsonvalleyrc.org
Hudson Valley Regional Council
Newburgh, NY 12550
The Village converted the interior lights in the Municipal Hall and the Fire Department to LED lights, as well as conducted upgrades to the building envelope and heating system. With the remaining NYSERDA funds, the Village will convert its streetlights to LED through a utility conversation program.
Mohawk Valley: Village of West Winfield, Herkimer County
High Impact Actions Completed:
Benchmarking, Clean Fleets, Energy Code Enforcement Training, and Unified Solar Permit
Energy Champions include Village Trustee Carl Wheat
“Four years ago, the Village of West Winfield started researching the possibility of reducing electric costs by installing solar panels on a brownfield,” said Carl Wheat, Village Trustee and former Chair, CEC Committee. “Although that project was beyond our means, it opened the door to working with NYSERDA to make our community a Clean Energy Community. Our goals were to decrease energy costs with LED lighting, more efficient heating, and insulation. For the next three years, we partnered with NYSERDA to develop and complete our program. The support we received from NYSERDA was fantastic. We were able to complete eight projects costing $50,000. A byproduct of this initiative led to our involvement in the Climate Smart Communities program and our awareness that we can and need to be more climate aware.”
Mohawk Valley Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Amanda Kaier
akaier@mvedd.org
Mohawk Valley Economic Development District
26 W Main St, Mohawk, NY 13407
Office: (315) 866-4671
(315) 525-1312
The Town of Black Brook is proud of its project to install PV solar on Town Hall.
North County: Town of Black Brook, Clinton County
High Impact Actions Completed:
Benchmarking, Unified Solar Permit, Energy Code enforcement training, Clean Fleets (EV charging station installed at Town Hall), LED Street Lights (through utility conversion), PV solar on the Town Hall (installed but not yet online). The Town continues to work on its Community Choice Aggregation with Opt-out CDG project.
Energy Champions include Supervisor Jon P. Douglass, whose favorite call to action is, "All energy used in Black Brook produced in Black Brook."
North Country Clean Energy Communities Coordinators:
Nancy Bernstein
nbernstein@adirondack.org
Jennifer Perry
jperry@adirondack.org
Adirondack North Country Association
67 Main Street, Suite 201, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Office: 518 891 6200
www.adirondack.org
Town of Hempstead’s hydrogen/HCNG/CNG fueling station and wind turbine in the background, which provides electricity for the fuel, resulting in zero-emission, renewable hydrogen.
Long Island: Town of Hempstead, Nassau County
High Impact Actions Completed: Clean fleets, unified solar permit, energy code training, LED streetlights and Climate Smart Communities certification (Bronze level).
Energy Champions: Supervisor Don Clavin, the Sustainability Leadership Team, and Senior Conservation Biologist Tara Schneider-Moran.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin notes, “The Town of Hempstead takes great pride in its certification as a NYSERDA Clean Energy Community, and we were honored to be one of the few local municipalities to qualify for a $150,000 grant, which we are investing in additional solar panels to cut energy costs at town facilities. From transforming a former landfill into an internationally recognized nature preserve to the construction of an award-winning Clean Energy Park, Hempstead Town is at the forefront of environmental conservation and keeping our community clean and sustainable for future generations.”
Adds Ms. Schneider-Moran, “The Town of Hempstead will be installing gently used solar panels at three locations, utilizing our own talented engineering and installation Town employees. Our team has completed benchmarking of over 1,200 solar panels, and our solar engineer is currently designing these three systems. The solar arrays will provide renewable energy to our expanding shellfish hatchery operations, marina facilities, our Water Department, and our community partner, Baldwin's Sanitary District No. 2."
Long Island Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Sarah Oral PE, LEED AP BD+C
SOral@cameronengineering.com
Civil Engineering Director
Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP
177 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, NY 11797
Office: 516-626-3596
www.cameronengineering.com
“It’s a win-win. We’re able to improve infrastructure and getting financial help,
while making the world a better place.” – Mayor Jan Tighe
Central New York: Village of Pulaski, Oswego County
High Impact Actions Completed: Benchmarking resolution, adopting the NYS Unified Solar Permit, participating in an energy code enforcement training, and converting 50% of streetlights to LED. The Village received a $50,000 grant and used the funds to upgrade the other 50% of streetlights to LED, upgrade building/facilities lighting to LED, and upgrade WWTP pump equipment. Recently, the Village also installed air source heat pumps to heat and cool their municipal/police/library building.
Energy Champions: Mayor Jan Tighe credits “Our work crews for the Town and Village; our Public Works and office staff -- they are making it happen.”
Central NY Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Amanda Mazzoni, Senior Planner
amazzoni@cnyrpdb.org
Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board
126 North Salina Street, Suite 200
Syracuse, NY 13202
Clean Fleets charging stations in Montour Falls.
Southern Tier: Montour Falls, Schuyler County
Completed High Impact Actions: Benchmarking, Clean Fleets (charging stations), bronze level Climate Smart Communities Certification, Energy Code Enforcement Training (under the old program), LED Street Lights, and Unified Solar Permit.
Energy Champion: Mayor James Ryan
“As Mayor and the Chair of the Montour Falls Sustainability Committee, I have the honor and responsibility of leading our Village through Clean Energy Community actions by collaborating with local and regional partners, working with a supportive state government partner, and embracing a collective impact approach in order to transform our Village and position this community to prosper far into the future. I am James Ryan and I approve this message."
Southern Tier Clean Energy Communities Coordinators:
Terrance Carroll, tc629@cornell.edu Todd Knobbe, tk656@cornell.edu
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
615 Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
607 272-2292 x 284 www.ccetompkins.org/
Town of Busti Supervisor Jesse Robbins and Code Officer Jeff Swanson
Southern Tier West: Town of Busti, Chautauqua County
Completed High Impact Actions: Benchmarking, Clean Fleets, Energy Code Enforcement Training, Unified Solar Permit
Energy Champions: Supervisor Jesse Robbins and Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Swanson.
Code Officer Jeff Swanson recounts that he heard CEC Coordinator Jonathon Mayr speak about grants that would be available.
“I went to Supervisor Jesse Robbins and he got on board right away,” said Swanson, adding that the Town of Busti was the first Clean Energy Community west of Hudson. Jeff worked to win designations for both the Town of Busti and the Village of Lakewood. "We pretty much did the whole package. With the grant, we installed charging stations and solar on our municipal buildings, and we undertook LED conversion of our street lights.”
Southern Tier West RP&DB Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Jonathon Mayr, GISP
jmayr@southerntierwest.org
4039 Route 219, Suite 200
Salamanca, NY 14779
(716)-945-5301 ext. 2232
New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and the
Erie County Climate Smart Communities team.
Western NY: Erie County
High Impact Actions Completed: Climate Smart Bronze, Solarize, Clean Fleets, Benchmarking.
Energy Champion: Bonnie Lange Lawrence, Deputy Commissioner, Erie County Dept. of Environment & Planning.
"County Executive Eric Poloncarz has made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases,” said Bonnie Lange Lawrence, Deputy Commissioner for Environment and Planning. “This has allowed us to set goals, leverage grant opportunities and access technical assistance that has been valuable. In addition to our completed HIAs, our LED streetlights are done, and PACE has been passed. CEC is a great program; the competition has really been effective. I didn’t realize it would motivate people so well. FOMO is real!" For more information about the County's pioneering work, see link to Buffalo-Niagara Case Stories.
WNY Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Jason Kulaszewski
jasonkul@buffalo.edu
University at Buffalo Regional Institute
77 Goodell Street, Suite 302 Buffalo, NY 14203
716.878.2441
John Goodwin, City Manager: 'You have to know when to jump through the window when it's open.'
Finger Lakes: City of Canandaigua, Ontario County
High Impact Actions Completed: Benchmarking - Municipal Buildings; Clean Energy Upgrades; Clean Fleets; Climate Smart Communities Certification – Bronze; Energize NY Finance; Energy Code Enforcement Training; LED Street Lights - Cobra Head Fixtures; Unified Solar Permit; CCA-Completed and ready for submission to NYSERDA
Energy Champion: City Manager John Goodwin.
“It takes a commitment from the City Council and community toward achieving a sustainable initiative,” said Goodwin. “The Council wants to be a leader. When we saw projects that made sense, we jumped on them. We’re proud of the solar array that covers 90 percent of our buildings. We purchased our street lights and converted to LEDs with a performance contract through (the company formerly known as) SmartWatt, which is paid for by the maintenance savings. Our Code officers needed to have proper training and now they are leading by example. We established a Climate Smart Communities committee, led by City Councilman Thomas Lyon. You have to know when to jump through the window when it’s open.”
Finger Lakes Clean Energy Communities Coordinator:
Rob Richardson
rrichardson@gflrpc.org
Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
50 West Main Street, Suite 8107
Rochester, New York 14614
585-454-0190 x21
