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Town of North Hempstead Earns Clean Energy Community Designation 7/22


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2020
MEDIA CONTACTS: Gordon Tepper, Rebecca Cheng, Matthew Leonenko and Michael Anderson | (516) 869-7794

Town of North Hempstead Earns Clean Energy Community Designation  

North Hempstead, NY - North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board are thrilled to announce that the Town has been designated a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), recognizing its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs, and driving clean energy locally.

“We appreciate NYSERDA recognizing the Town’s efforts in being a leader in clean energy – resiliency and sustainability are cornerstones of this administration,” said Supervisor Judi Bosworth. “The Town is committed to green initiatives and finding ways to reduce its carbon footprint to create a better environment for future generations.”

North Hempstead received the designation for completing four of 10 high-impact, clean-energy actions identified by NYSERDA as part of the Clean Energy Communities initiative.

To earn the Clean Energy Community designation, North Hempstead completed the following high-impact clean energy actions:

  • Used multiple alternative fuel vehicles, such as plug-in hybrid and battery electric cars, for municipal business.
  • Participated in a Solarize North Hempstead campaign to reduce solar project costs through joint purchasing.
  • Completed energy code enforcement training on best practices in energy code enforcement for code compliance officers and other municipal officers.
  • Adopted a benchmarking policy to track and report the energy use of the Town’s municipal buildings.


“Congratulations to the Town of North Hempstead on this important accomplishment and for its commitment to a cleaner and healthier future for its residents,” said Brad Tito, Program Manager, NYSERDA. “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York has made it a priority to support communities seeking to become more sustainable while helping drive progress toward reducing harmful emissions and lowering energy costs for New York families.”

Under the Clean Energy Communities program, cities, counties, towns and villages that completed at least four of 10 high-impact clean energy actions are designated as Clean Energy Communities and were eligible to apply for funding of up to $250,000 to finance additional clean energy projects. Areas with fewer than 40,000 residents were eligible to apply for up to $100,000 in funding. Grants are fully exhausted at this time. However, NYSERDA expects to release a new update to the Clean Energy Communities Program in the coming months to provide communities new opportunities for grants and recognition while driving the next level of impact.

The Clean Energy Communities program on Long Island is offered in partnership with PSEG Long Island whose generous support provided funding for grant awards to eligible communities. The program is also supported by the Clean Energy Fund and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Additional clean energy action items communities can take to achieve designation include:

  • Implementing Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) so residents can gain greater choice and control over energy use as a group.
  • Performing energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades including installing new LED lighting and heat pumps in municipal buildings to achieve a 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Earning Climate Smart Communities Certification through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for developing a comprehensive program to reduce its carbon footprint and improve the environment.
  • Establishing an Energize NY Finance Program that enables long-term, affordable Property Assessed Clean Energy financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at commercial buildings and not-for-profits.
  • Converting streetlights to energy efficient LED technology.
  • Streamlining the local approval processes for solar projects through adoption of the New York State Unified Solar Permit.

Clean Energy Community Coordinators are also available at no charge to help communities develop and prioritize clean energy goals; access easy-to-use resources, such as guidance documents and case studies; and take advantage of available funding and technical assistance opportunities.

Announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in August 2016, the $16 million Clean Energy Communities initiative supports local government leaders across the state by providing grants to eligible municipalities to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects in their communities. Clean Energy Communities advance the Governor’s Green New Deal, a clean energy and jobs agenda that puts New York State on a path to a carbon-neutral economy as well as the State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the most aggressive climate change program in the nation, by demonstrating the importance of communities in helping New York reach its goal for greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and a carbon-free electricity sector by 2040.

For more information on Clean Energy Communities, visit http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec. Local government officials or employees can find contact information for their respective coordinator for assistance navigating the program.


 

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