Program Updates (November 2021)

NYSERDA released updates to the Leadership Round of the Clean Energy Communities Program effective November 18th, 2021. There have been changes to existing actions, updates to action grants, the addition on a new action, and much more. The full revision document can be found here and a quick summary document of all changes is available here. All of the changes to actions have been updated on our website and reflect the most recent updated information. Please visit the action item page for more information. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to your Clean Energy Communities Coordinator.

Changes in Eligibility

  • Expands applicant eligibility to include municipal utility and rural cooperative electric communities in New York State.

Changes with New Additional actions

  • Creates a new County-Hosted Trainings high-impact action applicable to county governments.

Changes to Existing High Impact Actions

100% Renewable Electricity

  • Changes the 100% Renewable Electricity high-impact action to clarify that RECs generated by state-owned resources including New York Power Authority-owned facilities do not qualify. It also clarifies that RECs must be produced in the same year as the electricity consumption.

Clean Energy Upgrades

  • Changes the Clean Energy Upgrades high-impact action so that project components that were substantially complete after August 1, 2016 may be used to earn credit for this action. Removes premium-efficiency wood pellets as a qualified renewable energy source.

Clean Heating and Cooling Demo

  • Changes the Clean Heating and Cooling Demo high-impact action to increase the number of points earned for completing the action and to clarify which technologies are eligible. In addition, ground- and/or air-source heat pump systems that become operational as the building’s primary heating and cooling systems after August 1, 2016 may earn credit for this action. Communities that completed the Clean Heating and Cooling Demo action prior to November 18, 2021 will be awarded 200 additional points retroactively.

LED Street lights

  • Expands eligibility for the LED Street Lights high-impact action to all communities.

Clean Fleets

  • Provides additional details in the Clean Fleets high-impact action to clarify which technologies are eligible.

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)

  • Changes the Community Choice Aggregation – Opt-Out Community Distributed Generation (CDG) action to clarify the requirements and allow communities to enroll all eligible assistance program participants (APPs) as an alternative form of compliance.

Changes to Exisiting Actions with action Grants

NY Stretch

  • Changes the NYStretch Energy Code Action to extend the date in which the code must take effect by to June 31, 2022. It also includes changes to clarify the requirements and to add a new requirement that the municipality file with the New York State Department of State pursuant to Energy Law §11-109.

Community Campaigns

  • Changes the Community Campaigns action to clarify requirementsincluding that communities pursuing Community Campaigns for Demand Response must develop partnerships with New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) or utility demand response programs and/or providers.

  • Changes the Community Campaigns action by establishing different required number of campaign participantsfor each campaign type.

  • Changes the Community Campaigns action by altering the number of action grant awards and funding amounts for each campaign type.

  • Changes the Community Campaign for Electric Vehicles to clarify that vehicles must be new and purchased to qualify.

  • Increases the number of points earned for completing a Community Campaign for Clean Heating and Cooling and Energy Efficiency from 200 to 500.

Changes to Grant Applications

  • Clarifies the requirement that a signed letter of commitment be submitted with each Clean Energy Communities Grant Application.

  • Updates the Grant Application Workbook to address glitches and to improve user experience.

  • Updates the Building Upgrades pre-approved project type in the Grant Application Workbook to allow energy upgrades to be completed if identified in an ASHRAE Level II or III audit, provided the audit was prepared no more than five years before the date of application. Adds an option to use grant funding for Clean Heating and Cooling Screeningsfor buildings to be performed by NYSERDA-selected contractors.

  • Updates the Grant Application Workbook to allow the applicant to propose projects in a Disadvantaged Community that are not site-specific but where benefits are confined to the Disadvantaged Community area.

  • Updates the Sample Statement of Work to include a separate project component when a community elects to use their grant funds for one or more Clean Energy Communities Energy Studies and/or Clean Heating and Cooling Screenings. In addition, the Statement of Work has been updated to include all the various requirements and deliverables that may come in to play depending on the grant project type.

More information on the Leadership round can be found in the Leadership Round Guidance Document linked below: