The Westchester Power electricity supply program is once again active in all 29 participating municipalities. The majority of ConEd’s Westchester service territory was on a temporary pause in the program from July through October but the program’s supply service resumed as of November 1st. NYSEG and Yonkers customers were not affected and continue to receive their supply on the current contract rates that began in March 2022. 

Program Director Dan Welsh comments on the state of the energy market and how Sustainable Westchester is navigating the drastic changes we have seen in the past twelve months. 

"Energy prices are all over the news, and people are paying more attention to their options now. Uncertainty is the driver here: the war in Ukraine impacting global energy markets, the delayed startup of an offline natural gas processing plant in Texas, and the onset of extreme weather events driven by human-induced climate change are just some of the slings and arrows that have come to bear directly on our electric bill. As we all deal with the reality of household budgets, newscasts remind us that reducing our dependence on fossil fuels remains an acute challenge. The Westchester Power program provides a path forward that addresses key pieces of the energy puzzle.

The Westchester Power mission is to drive the transition to clean, cost-effective renewable energy. Being cost-effective doesn’t always mean beating the standard utility pricing - utility pricing fluctuates and we cannot predict what those prices will be in any given month. The transition requires us to look beyond the current rate comparison and focus on the value we’ve started to create with initiatives like community solar and its soon-to-be next opt-out iteration. Further down the road we seek to build long term-structures which increase community stakeholdership. Program participants are helping to realize that vision."

For more information about our fixed rates, and to enroll in Westchester Power, visit: https://sustainablewestchester.org/index.php/wp/energy-choices/#energychoices.

GridRewards™ had an exciting summer with seven demand-response events throughout the heat waves in July and August. Michelle in Ardsley said after the 2021 season, “The GridRewards™ events this summer were great. I used them as an educational opportunity for my 4-year-old son, and we had fun going around the house determining all the ways we could save energy (turn off that power strip! unplug the smartTV! Turn off the A/C!). And it paid off! We received a $160 check that my son added to his new bank account. We can’t wait to participate again next summer.” This year there were even more opportunities to participate.

GridRewards™ is a free app that connects to your Con Edison account and can help you lower your carbon footprint and save money. Taking simple energy actions during peak times can earn you cash payments of up to 20% of your electricity bill! Find out more information here or check our frequently asked questions.

If you are a ConEd customer, you can join GridRewards by following these easy steps. 

If you are a NYSEG customer, sign up to be notified when GridRewards™ launches in your area.

Winter is coming and energy costs are expected to rise across the board for Westchester residents. Home energy assessments have been popular this season with new and long-time Westchester County homeowners looking to make improvements to their home’s insulation. An energy assessment is an essential first step to getting the full picture of your home’s needs.

Upgrades to existing systems, including replacements of aging systems, have been another topic keeping the phone lines busy with the EnergySmart Homes team. Homeowners are weighing the cost-benefits of replacing systems now versus waiting out the winter months.

If you are curious how heat pumps and energy efficiency can work in your own home, scroll through the EnergySmart Homes Success Stories page to see videos, case studies, and articles about how local homeowners are saving money and energy with clean energy upgrade projects.

Program Director Lauren Brois highlights what homeowners are talking about as the weather gets cooler: 

• How do I remove fossil fuels from my home? See the Heat Pump Planner to find which type of heat pump is best for your home.
  
  
• Geothermal Heat Pumps - Use the NYSERDA Geopossibilities Tool to explore if your property could be a good fit for geothermal and explore potential savings.
  
  
• Inflation Reduction Act: Preview Rewiring America's IRA calculator for federal rebates and preview utility rebates by technology here
  
  
• How do I find a contractor: Contact a contractor to schedule your site visit. To view the list of contractors we recommend, click here and find your installer partner by filtering by technology.

Rachel Carpitella, director of the Building Decarbonization program, has hosted a series of roundtables for industry professionals seeking to make connections for new-build and retrofit building projects in the commercial and multi-family residential space. The most recent roundtable was on November 1st and discussed the state’s (NYSERDA) funding opportunities for multifamily property and commercial space energy system builds and remote “smart” energy analysis. 

If you are a developer or service provider and would like to connect with Rachel on invitations for these events, email her at Rachel@sustainablewestchester.org.

As of October 2022, Westchester County reached a significant milestone in solar energy with over 10,000 solar systems completed or in process since New York State started tracking solar installations in 2003. Many of these projects are home solar installations, and we are happy to see Westchester residents installing solar systems and creating a cleaner and more resilient power grid for our communities. 

Residents who cannot install solar on their roofs can still benefit from solar and support clean renewable energy by participating in Community Solar. Participants are subscribed to a portion of a local solar project, and solar credit savings are applied directly to the participant’s monthly electricity bill. There is no cost to join, and participants may cancel at any time without penalty or fee.

Community Solar Holiday Savings for NYSEG customers!
Sustainable Westchester now has Community Solar enrollment capacity available in NYSEG territory. NYSEG customers can sign up and save up to 10% on electricity bills. Our NYSEG Community Solar projects are using net crediting. This means instead of having two bills, the solar credit and 90% subscription fee will be consolidated on each participant’s monthly NYSEG bill. No ACH or credit card is necessary to sign up! Enroll now by visiting: SustainableWestchester.org/solar

Please note, if you are prompted for bank information during your new signup, you may ignore and skip this step.

How are solar credits applied to electricity bills?

1. The electricity generated by your portion of the project earns you a solar credit in the form of a monetary saving, which is applied to your bill (called “CDG Value Stack Credit”).
   
   
2. 90% of the solar credit is deducted as a subscription fee (called “CDG Subscription fee”).
   
   
3. 10% of the solar credit is retained on your bill as monetary savings (you keep 10% of the solar credit each month!)

We currently do not have Community Solar capacity for ConEd customers. We hope to have new opportunities in 2023!

Michel Delafontaine, Director of Business Development, has been working with NYSERDA on a concept to develop a Long Duration Energy Storage transfer station at Westchester County Airport. This project would work in tandem with a potential solar field on the former landfill of the airport's grounds. The energy transfer station would provide energy storage for various electrochemical, mechanical, and thermal functions. Examples include a Community Solar project, a backup fuel-cell-based power supply (instead of diesel generators), hydrogen and compressed air dispenser supply for airport fuel-cell-powered ground support equipment, and a charging station for electrical aircraft and other battery-operated equipment. The project is in its initial scoping stage.

Sustainable Westchester Celebrates the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act’s Passing 

On November 8, 2022, ballot Proposition 1 passed in the State of New York. This historic measure enables the allocation of $4.2 billion in funding towards environmental measures seeking to improve public health, resource conservation and protection, and overall quality of life across New York State. In light of the large proportion of votes favoring the Bond Act’s passing, New Yorkers have made it clear that infrastructure upgrades, green job creation, the expansion of public green space, building retrofits, and other environmental actions are widely popular – and indeed necessary to meet statewide climate targets.

We also cannot forget the support of many Westchester municipalities who passed resolutions in support of the Bond Act, see the full list here.

Blog post authored by: Lauren Kroell, Clean Energy Associate

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