State Announces $250M Westchester Clean Energy Action Plan

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Department of Public Service (DPS) and New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced Thursday a Westchester Clean Energy Action Plan to provide immediate relief to Westchester County businesses and residents affected by Con Edison’s announcement that it will put new applications for firm natural gas service on a waiting list beginning March 15.

As DPS independently reviews Con Edison’s claims of a shortage in natural gas supply, the state is advancing a $250 million Westchester Clean Energy Investment Program to provide local investment in clean energy alternatives such as electric heat pumps, high-efficiency appliances, equipment and building materials that will lower energy costs for consumers and reduce demand in order to accommodate new customers.

The $250 million Westchester Clean Energy Investment Program includes:

• $165 million in grants from the Smart Solutions package that the Public Service Commission (PSC) recently directed Con Edison to deploy toward heat pumps and increasing gas efficiency for residential, multifamily and commercial and industrial customers.
• An additional $53 million in clean energy incentives and investments that NYSERDA will provide to Westchester customers.
  • $28 million will be used for grants for new customers, including low-to-moderate residential developments waitlisted by Con Edison for natural gas to use alternative heating and cooling systems and adopt energy efficient solutions.
  • $25 million will be used to provide grants to improve energy efficiency in Westchester and reduce overall and peak energy demand from existing customers in the region to free up capacity.
• An additional $32 million in low-cost NYPA financing services for its Westchester customers to retrofit heating systems with clean energy alternatives. NYPA is committing to provide energy audits and screenings to support its governmental customer base and identify alternative options.

These investments and activities, targeted directly to the Westchester area and in zones where investments can have the greatest impact in reducing demand constraints, are estimated to reduce energy consumption equivalent to the amount of gas needed to heat over 90,000 homes. NYSERDA, NYPA, and Westchester County will support expanded contractor training in Westchester to ensure there are sufficient trained professionals to deliver these solutions in a timely manner.

Alicia Barton, president and CEO, NYSERDA, said she was pleased her organization could be part of the solution and support accelerated deployment of clean energy programs and incentives to customers in Westchester County.

"We are committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to affordable, safe, clean and reliable energy sources and that we can support energy upgrades in a way that drives economic growth,” she said.

Statement from Westchester County Executive George Latimer:

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, said the clean energy action plan was a good first step.

"The recently announced moratorium on new natural gas service in Westchester County underlined the need for urgent, creative solutions for expediting our clean energy future. We must collectively come together to advance the clean energy economy in a way that protects both our communities and our environment," she said.

State Senator David Carlucci, D-Westchester/Rockland, said Con Ed's decision to suspend new natural gas applications in Westchester is detrimental to residents businesses and schools.

"Now commercial property developers will look elsewhere, causing dire economic consequences for the county. The Department of Public Service should independently investigate Con Edison's decision and any relief we can provide has my support," he said.

As part of an independent review launched after Con Edison’s announcement, the PSC held two public hearings in White Plains to elicit comment from the public and impacted stakeholders.

The Westchester Clean Energy Action Plan also includes a consumer awareness campaign to be led by NYSERDA, in coordination with Con Edison, Westchester County, local governments, and other stakeholders, to help communities, businesses and individuals access programs and incentives now available to help them reliably heat their homes with clean resources. As part of this effort, NYSERDA is doubling its budget for the Sustainable Westchester clean heating and cooling campaign to expand the scope of HeatSmart Westchester, a community-level initiative designed to facilitate adoption of fossil-free heating and cooling solutions such as ground-source and air-source heat pumps, as well as high-efficiency building measures such as high-performance insulation and advanced windows.

NYSERDA will sponsor sustainable and clean energy community workshops in Westchester beginning on April 24 with a workshop in Tarrytown in collaboration with Westchester County. NYSERDA will also provide free screening for electrification options for large customers and expand contractor training in the area.

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