Welcome to the Spring 2020 Edition of our Southern Tier Clean Energy Communities (CEC) quarterly newsletter!
The purpose of this newsletter is to keep municipalities, elected officials, and others in the counties of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins informed about the great work being performed in the Southern Tier to make our communities more sustainable and energy efficient. As coordinators, our focus is NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities initiative and other energy-related activities taking place throughout the region. We are available to assist you, your local government, and your community as you implement clean energy actions, save energy costs, create jobs, and improve the environment.
The Southern Tier region now has 37 officially designated Clean Energy Communities! Work continues with many other municipalities seeking designation and advice on energy usage. CEC coordinators are available to function as your municipality's energy advisor. If you have any questions regarding energy usage, or if you're interested in joining the movement towards becoming a Clean Energy Community, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Southern Tier CEC Team
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Despite the continuing effects on COVID-19 on our communities, NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program continues on. We understand that municipal budgets and funding for current and future projects are uncertain. In light of all these changes, we are adapting our messaging, action highlights, and eblasts to focus on how to help your municipality save money through big and small projects, behavioral changes, and low-cost to no-cost actions. We will also be highlighting webinars related to action items ( check out the “Events” section below for upcoming webinars and past recordings if you missed any!). If there are any topics you would like to see us cover in future eblasts, let us know! |
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We are sad, but excited to announce that Osamu Tsuda has accepted a position with Tetra Tech and will be leaving the Southern Tier CEC Team. We want to thank him for all the hard work and expertise he has offered to our program and communities and wish him the best.
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The Town of Caroline in Tompkins County has been making headway on their Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA). A CVA is methodology to assess existing vulnerabilities faced by the community. Primary Vulnerabilities in New York State, as defined by NYS Climate Smart Communities Program include droughts, flooding and extreme precipitation, and heat waves.
Despite the many setbacks accompanying COVID-19, a community workshop was originally scheduled for early April, but was changed to two virtual meetings. Despite the change to remote meetings, the Caroline CVA Workshop was attended by community members and municipal and elected officials. Participants learned about local climate projections and how they may affect their town resources. Both a power point and survey were provided to understand the vulnerabilities the Caroline community faces and to shape the final analysis of the assessment for the Town of Caroline.
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Town of Caroline Climate Vulnerability Assessment Recorded Workshop. You can also view the video here!
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We anticipate that the final report will be completed and available by the end of May. It took some adjusting to convert the original workshop into a virtual meeting, but in the end it was still a successful well-attended workshop and the feedback received remotely was invaluable.Check out our website for more details on Caroline's CVA workshop!
If your municipality is interested in Climate Vulnerability Assessment or CEC or CSC related meetings or actions while working remotely, please contact your Clean Energy Community Coordinator, Terry Carroll at tc629@cornell.edu
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For the spring edition High Impact Action item spotlight, we wanted to reiterate the information provided in our ESCO eblast and highlight a possibly easy way for your municipality to save money.
All electric customers in New York State have the opportunity to choose who provides their energy supply – either it defaults to the utility or you can choose a third-party supplier know as an Energy Services Company (ESCO). ESCOs are competing for your business. As a result, there may be a wide variety of products and price options available to customers shopping for energy supply.
We have noticed that some municipalities in the Southern Tier have much higher energy supply rates than their neighboring towns and villages, both those with and without added value services!
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Some municipalities have reached out to us after reviewing benchmarking for their municipality. Benchmarking is a policy and will give you a baseline of energy usage. If you have already completed this CEC action item, compare your energy usage to past reports. Have your energy supply charges increased? Are your rates higher than other local municipalities? Collecting, reporting, and sharing benchmarking data regularly helps the public and government agencies make smarter investment decisions, reward efficiency, and drive widespread, continuous improvement.
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Congratulations to the Village of Whitney Point for becoming a certified Clean Energy Community!
The Village of Whitney Point has completed Benchmarking, Energy Code Enforcement Training, LED Street Lights, and Unified Solar Permit. For more information on how your municipality can become a certified Clean Energy Community, visit our website.
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Congratulations to the Village of Odessa and the Town of Hector for taking the pledge and joining the Climate Smart Communities Program!
We now have 21 communities active in the CSC program! Interested in learning more about how your municipality can become a registered Climate Smart Community? Visit our website!
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Southern Tier Reopening after COVID-19
Chris Moss outlines “smart start” to reopening the Southern Tier (Read More)
Siting Board reaffirms approval of Broome County wind farm
The controversial wind farm project in eastern Broome County came one step closer to becoming a reality. (Read More)
NYSERDA COVID-19 Response Letter
Based on an initial review of the input from the energy efficiency and heat pump community, NYSERDA announced a list of immediate actions representing the first phase of support for energy efficiency and clean energy businesses. (Read More)
Access the Energy Efficiency and Heat Pump Focused COVID-19 Input Summary Report here.
Governor Cuomo Announces Details for 21 Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
Projects in the Southern Tier include:
- Cohocton Wind Project: TerraForm Power will repower an existing wind farm, leading to an increase in new renewable capacity of 35.8 megawatts in the town Cohocton.
- Prattsburgh Wind Farm: Terra-Gen will build a 145 megawatt wind farm in the towns of Avoca, Cohocton, Prattsburgh, and Wheeler.
- SunEast Valley Solar: SunEast Development will build a 19.99 megawatt solar facility in the town of Owego.
(Read More)
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Security and Sustainability Forum: Health & Equity Impacts of Extreme Heat
When: May 14th; 12:30pm
Where: Virtual, Register Here
This webinar will provide practical information on how to protect people from extreme heat, especially those at highest risk, over the coming months. Panelists will discuss federal research and resources and draw on case studies from Phoenix Arizona to inform a discussion of solutions at all scales. Join the Security and Sustainability Forum, Arizona State University's School of Sustainability, and panelists for a discussion based on the latest research, and invite your colleagues to sit in.
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PAST WEBINAR RECORDINGS:
NYStretch Energy Code - 2020 webinar
NYStretch Energy Code-2020 (NYStretch) is a voluntary stretch energy code that has been developed by NYSERDA as a statewide model code for New York jurisdictions to use to meet their energy and climate goals by accelerating the savings obtained through their local building energy codes. For jurisdictions that adopt it, NYSERDA has estimated that NYStretch will provide savings of roughly 11% over the 2020 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (2020 ECCCNYS) when that energy code is released by New York State Department of State.
Slides and Recording available
Siting Utility Scale Solar Projects
As solar energy becomes more viable, some municipalities have discovered their zoning codes do not address all the issues that may arise. The siting of a utility scale solar facility often requires that the solar developer apply for a zoning variance or a special use permit. In addition to engineering and environmental review, boards should consider the various legal aspects of such applications, including the necessity for decommissioning bonds and security, landowner authorizations, timing requirements and the sensitivities of neighboring property owners. Towns may also wish to explore the requirement of a Payment in Lieu of Tax Agreement (PILOT) for the various taxing jurisdictions. This presentation will focus on the unique factors that should be thoroughly evaluated in the SEQRA, zoning and legal review processes.
Recorded Webinar, Slides, Q&A, Certificate of Attendance
2020 Tompkins County Agriculture Summit
Farmers, rural landowners, and government officials are invited to attend the Annual Tompkins County Agriculture Summit to learn about policies and programs that impact agriculture and our rural communities and to discuss research to help prepare them to meet the latest changes and challenges. The April 24th Panel will be focused on understanding the Solar Leasing/Installation Landscape.
Recording available.
Large-Scale Renewable Energy Permitting: What's in it for communities?
Join New Yorkers for Clean Power and United Solar Energy Supporters to learn about the new siting law for large-scale renewable energy projects in New York: Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth & Community Benefit Act.
Recording and Slides available.
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