North Hempstead Earns Clean Energy Community Designation

NORTH HEMPSTEAD, NY — The Town of North Hempstead has been designated a Clean Energy Community in recognition of its work in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy locally, officials announced.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority granted the title to the Town after it completed four of the 10 clean energy actions identified by NYSERDA as part of the Clean Energy Communities initiative, a $16 million program announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2016 that 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.

To earn the Clean Energy Community designation, the Town of North Hempstead 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; and adopted a benchmarking policy to track and report the energy use of the Town’s municipal buildings.

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

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.

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, and the State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Clean Energy Communities are critical 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.

Under this 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, but 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.

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.

“Congratulations to the Town of North Hempstead on this important accomplishment and for its commitment to a cleaner and healthier future for its residents,” NYSERDA Program Manager Brad Tito said. “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.”