community charrette

Community Energy for Con Edison-Area Municipalities

In 2016, after several years of development and hundreds of community meetings, Westchester communities launched the first Community Choice Aggregation energy program in NY and today, continue to lead the transition to clean, renewable energy.

Participating Municipalities

100% Renewable Supply Default
Village of Ardsley, Town of Bedford, Village of Croton, Village of Dobbs Ferry, Village of Hastings, Village of Irvington, Village of Larchmont, Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck, Town of New Castle, City of New Rochelle, Town of Ossining, City of Peekskill, Village of Pelham, City of Rye, Village of Rye Brook, Village of Sleepy Hollow, Village of Tuckahoe, City of White Plains

50% Renewable Supply Default
Town of Greenburgh, Village of Ossining, Village of Pleasantville, Village of Tarrytown

Quick links for your energy choices

Received a notification letter?

To opt out or change supply

Click here

Existing customer or want to opt in?

If you would like to opt in, opt out, change supply,
or check your enrollment

Click here

Current contract for Con Edison area participants

Constellation New Energy is the supplier for this contract, which is in effect from the first meter reads in November of 2024 to first meter reads of December 2025.

Renewable energy is New York State sourced, primarily hydropower. Standard energy is a grid mix similar to the utility, mostly fossil fuels.

100% Renewable 50% Renewable
Residential 13.207¢/kWh 12.087¢/kWh
Small Commercial 13.207¢/kWh 12.087¢/kWh

Rates on your bill will include GRT if your municipality assesses it.

Municipal Product Defaults

100% Renewable Supply Default
Village of Ardsley, Town of Bedford, Village of Croton, Village of Dobbs Ferry, Village of Hastings, Village of Irvington, Village of Larchmont, Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck, Town of New Castle, City of New Rochelle, Town of Ossining, City of Peekskill, Village of Pelham, City of Rye, Village of Rye Brook, Village of Sleepy Hollow, Village of Tuckahoe, City of White Plains

50% Renewable Supply Default
Town of Greenburgh, Village of Ossining, Village of Pleasantville, Village of Tarrytown

Upcoming contract for Con Edison area (other than Yonkers) participants

Constellation New Energy is the supplier for this contract, which is in effect from December 1st, 2025 to November 30th, 2027.

NEW Rates Starting 12/1/2025 Residential Small Commercial
50% Renewable 11.810 ¢/kWh 11.700 ¢/kWh
100% Renewable 12.260 ¢/kWh 12.150 ¢/kWh
Con Edison Averages

10/2024-9/2025*

SC 1 (Residential) SC 2 (Small Commercial)
Zone H 11.358 ¢/kWh 10.759 ¢/kWh
Zone I 11.517 ¢/kWh 10.931 ¢/kWh
Zone H & Zone I (this only applies for the Town of New Castle) 11.4375 ¢/kWh 10.845 ¢/kWh

* The Con Edison average is not indicative of Con Edison pricing going forward, as Con Edison supply pricing is variable and may change each month. If you choose the renewable product offering, you will pay a premium for this product over the utility standard product pricing, however, you will be contributing to NYS clean energy goals.

Rates on your bill will include GRT if your municipality assesses it.

New Contract Municipal Defaults

50% Renewable Supply Default

Town of Greenburgh, Village of Pleasantville

100% Renewable Supply Default

Village of Ardsley, Town of Bedford, Village of Croton, Village of Dobbs Ferry, Village of Hastings, Village of Irvington, Village of Larchmont, Town of Mamaroneck, Town of New Castle, City of New Rochelle, Town of Ossining, Village of Ossining, City of Peekskill, Village of Pelham, City of Rye, Village of Rye Brook, Village of Sleepy Hollow, Village of Tarrytown, Village of Tuckahoe, City of White Plains

Municipalities by Con Edison Zones

Zone H: Town of Bedford, Village of Croton, Town and Village of Ossining, City of Peekskill

Zone I: Village of Ardsley, Village of Dobbs Ferry, Town of Greenburgh, Village of Hastings, Village of Irvington, Village of Larchmont, Town of Mamaroneck, City of New Rochelle, Village of Pelham, Village of Pleasantville, City of Rye, Village of Rye Brook, Village of Sleepy Hollow, Village of Tarrytown, Village of Tuckahoe, City of White Plains

Zone H/I: Town of New Castle

Upcoming Opt-out Period Dates

Opt-Out letters will go out in October. The opt-out period for each municipality is as follows:

Municipality Opt-Out Period
Ardsley October 20th, 2025 – November 24th, 2025
Bedford October 24th, 2025 – November 30th, 2025
Croton October 16th, 2025 – November 17th, 2025
Dobbs Ferry October 20th, 2025 – November 25th, 2025
Greenburgh October 18th, 2025 – November 20th, 2025
Hastings October 20th, 2025 – November 23rd, 2025
Irvington October 20th, 2025 – November 27th, 2025
Larchmont October 23rd, 2025 – November 27th, 2025
New Castle October 23rd, 2025 – November 26th, 2025
New Rochelle October 17th, 2025 – November 23rd, 2025
Ossining Town and Village October 16th, 2025 – November 18th, 2025
Peekskill October 16th, 2025 – November 20th, 2025
Pelham October 30th, 2025 – December 1st, 2025
Pleasantville October 25th, 2025 – December 1st, 2025
Rye October 24th, 2025 – November 30th, 2025
Rye Brook October 17th, 2025 – November 19th, 2025
Sleepy Hollow October 16th, 2025 – November 18th, 2025
Tarrytown October 16th, 2025 – November 17th, 2025
Town of Mamaroneck October 23rd, 2025 – November 25th, 2025
Tuckahoe October 30th, 2025 – December 1st, 2025
White Plains October 17th, 2025 – November 20th, 2025

Note: You can opt-out at any time outside of the opt-out period

Upcoming Public Information Sessions for the Opt-Out Period*

In-person events do not require registration but virtual sessions do.

* Please click here to view more meetings in September and Early October

MunicipalityDateTimeDetails
Croton10/17/202512:00 PMCroton Virtual Session (Register here)
Dobbs Ferry 10/20/202512:00 PMDobbs Ferry Virtual Session (Register here)
Greenburgh10/20/20256:00 PMGreenburgh Virtual Session (Register here)
Peekskill10/20/20256:00 PMThe Field Library
Dobbs Ferry 10/21/20256:00 PMDobbs Ferry Virtual Session (Register here)
Greenburgh10/21/202512:00 PMGreenburgh Virtual Session (Register here)
Greenburgh10/21/20256:00 PMGreenburgh Public Library
Hastings10/22/202512:00 PMHastings Virtual Session (Register here)
Larchmont10/22/202512:00 PMLarchmont Virtual Session (Register here)
Larchmont10/22/20256:00 PMLarchmont Public Library
Peekskill10/22/20256:00 PMPeekskill Virtual Session (Register here)
Irvington10/23/202512:00 PMIrvington Virtual Session (Register here)
New Rochelle10/23/20256:00 PMNew Rochelle Virtual Session (Register here)
Ossining Town + Village10/23/202512:00 PMOssining Virtual Session (Register here)
Ossining Town + Village10/23/20256:00 PMOssining Public Library
Mamaroneck10/24/20255:30 PMMamaroneck Virtual Session (Register here)
Ossining Town + Village10/24/20255:30 PMOssining Virtual Session (Register here)
Peekskill10/24/202512:00 PMPeekskill Virtual Session (Register here)
Mamaroneck10/27/202512:00 PMMamaroneck Virtual Session (Register here)
Mamaroneck10/27/20256:00 PMMamaroneck Public Library
New Castle10/27/20256:00 PMNew Castle Virtual Session (Register here)
New Castle10/28/202512:00 PMNew Castle Virtual Session (Register here)
New Castle10/28/20256:30 PMChappaqua Public Library
Rye Brook10/28/202512:00 PMRye Brook Virtual Session (Register here)
Rye Brook10/28/20256:00 PMRye Brook Village Hall
New Rochelle10/29/202512:00 PMNew Rochelle Virtual Session (Register here)
New Rochelle10/29/20254:30 PMNew Rochelle Public Library
Rye Brook10/30/20256:00 PMRye Brook Virtual Session (Register here)
Tarrytown10/30/202512:00 PMTarrytown Virtual Session (Register here)
Tarrytown10/30/20256:00 PMWarner Library
Pelham11/3/20255:30 PMPelham Virtual Session (Register here)
Pleasantville11/3/202512:00 PMPleasantville Virtual Session (Register here)
Rye11/3/202512:00 PMRye Virtual Session (Register here)
Rye11/3/20255:30 PMRye Virtual Session (Register here)
Dobbs Ferry 11/4/20256:00 PMDobbs Ferry Public Library
White Plains11/4/20256:00 PMWhite Plains Library
Sleepy Hollow11/5/202512:00 PMSleepy Hollow Virtual Session (Register here)
Sleepy Hollow11/5/20256:00 PMJames F. Galgano Senior Center
Tarrytown11/5/20255:30 PMTarrytown Virtual Session (Register here)
Ardsley11/6/20256:00 PMArdsley Public Library
Tuckahoe11/6/20256:00 PMTuckahoe Virtual Session (Register here)
White Plains11/6/202512:00 PMWhite Plains Virtual Session (Register here)
White Plains11/6/20256:00 PMWhite Plains Virtual Session (Register here)
Ardsley11/7/202512:00 PMArdsley Virtual Session (Register here)
Bedford11/7/202512:00 PMBedford Virtual Session (Register here)
Bedford11/7/20255:30 PMBedford Virtual Session (Register here)
Irvington11/10/20256:00 PMIrvington Public Library
Rye11/10/20256:00 PMRye Free Reading Room
Hastings11/12/20255:45 PMHastings Public Library
Croton11/16/20256:00 PMCroton Free Library
Bedford11/17/20256:00 PMBedford Community House
Pelham11/17/20256:00 PMPelham Town House
Pleasantville11/18/20256:30 PMArc Stages
Tuckahoe11/19/20254:30 PMTuckahoe Community Center

Westchester Power Basics

COLLECTIVE POWER – the community-selected default electricity supply option for 29 participating municipalities.

[ConEdison remains responsible for Distribution – the infrastructure and billing]

RENEWABLE ENERGY made easily accessible, vetted, at scale.

OPT-OUT FORMAT – eligible customers are enrolled in the default supply unless they take action to opt out or change supply.

CONSUMER-FRIENDLY structure allows you to participate with no contracts, fees, or penalties for coming or going.

RATE STABILITY – stable and predictable pricing vs the monthly variability of the utility supply.

Savings are not guaranteed through this program, as we cannot predict what the utility will charge month-to-month.

For more information the Dept. of Public Service has prepared this FAQ: faq-template_v2.pdf

Contacts and resources:

How to read your bill

When your electricity supply is from an Energy Service Company (ESCO) such as is the case with participation in Westchester Power, the supply charge is separated from the Con Edison distribution charge, where before they were combined. Click here for Con Edison explanation of other charges.

Comparison of Con Edison average monthly rates for current contract

  • The October 2023 rate displayed is from October 6 to October 31 due to incomplete Con Ed data.

Comparison of Con Edison average monthly rates from program launch

  • Rates do not include Gross Receipt Tax (GRT). If your municipality collects GRT, it will be added to these rates.
  • The Con Ed 12-month trailing average in Zone I for the period July 2024 to June 2025 was 10.888 cents/kWh for residential customers and 10.336 cents/kWh for small commercial customers
  • The Con Ed 12-month trailing average in Zone H for the period July 2024 to June 2025 was 10.828 cents/kWh for residential customers and 10.266 cents/kWh for small commercial customers
  • For information on how to find the cost comparison for your electricity usage via your online Con Ed account, click here

Past 2025  Public Information Sessions

Join a Westchester Power information session to learn how this program can help you power your home with green energy. In-person events do not require registration but virtual sessions do.

September 2nd, 2025 at 12pm – Greenburgh Virtual Session 4 Register Here

September 2nd, 2025 at 7pm – Greenburgh Virtual Session 4 Register Here

September 3rd, 2025 at 12pm – Greenburgh Public Library

September 3rd, 2025 at 5pm – Greenburgh Public Library

September 8th, 2025 at 12pm – Warner Library (Tarrytown) (View Recording Here)

September 8th, 2025 at 4:30pm – Warner Library (Tarrytown)

September 9th, 2025 at 1pm – New Rochelle Public Library

September 9th, 2025 at 5:30pm – Rye Brook Village Hall

September 10th. 2025 at 12pm – Rye Brook Virtual Session 2 Register Here

September 10th, 2025 at 4:30pm – New Rochelle Public Library

September 10th. 2025 at 5pm – Rye Brook Virtual Session 3 Register Here

September 11th, 2025 at 12pm – New Rochelle Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

September 11th, 2025 at 5pm – Rye Brook Village Hall

September 11th, 2025 at 7pm – New Rochelle Virtual Session 2 (View recording here)

September 12th, 2025 at 12pm – Tarrytown Virtual Session 3 (View recording here)

September 12th, 2025 at 5:30pm – Tarrytown Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 12th, 2025 at 6pm – White Plains Public Library

September 13th, 2025 at 12pm – White Plains Public Library (View recording here)

September 15th, 2025 at 12pm – White Plains Virtual Session 3 (View recording here)

September 15th, 2025 at 12pm – Peekskill Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 15th, 2025 at 2:30pm – Bedford Hills Community House

September 15th, 2025 at 5pm – Peekskill Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 15th, 2025 at 6pm – White Plains Virtual Session 4 – (View recording here)

September 15th, 2025 at 7pm – Bedford Virtual Session 3 (View recording here)

September 16th. 2025 at 10am – Peekskill Field Library

September 16th. 2025 at 12pm – Hastings Virtual Session 3 (View recording here)

September 16th. 2025 at 5pm – Peekskill Field Library

September 16th. 2025 at 6:30pm – Sleepy Hollow Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 17th, 2025 at 12pm – Hastings Public Library (View recording here)

September 17th, 2025 at 12pm – Mamaroneck Public Library

September 17th, 2025 at 12pm – James F. Galgano Center Sleepy Hollow

September 17th, 2025 at 5pm – Hastings Public Library

September 17th, 2025 at 5pm – Mamaroneck Public Library

September 17th, 2025 at 6:30pm – James F. Galgano Center Sleepy Hollow

September 17th, 2025 at 7pm – Joseph G. Caputo Center Ossining

September 18th, 2025 at 10am – Ossining Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 18th, 2025 at 12pm – Croton Free Library

September 18th, 2025 at 12pm – Dobbs Ferry Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 18th, 2025 at 5pm – Croton Free Library

September 18th, 2025 at 5:30pm – Dobbs Ferry Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 18th, 2025 at 6:30pm – Ossining Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 19th, 2025 at 12pm – Dobbs Ferry Public Library (View recording here)

September 19th, 2025 at 12pm – Croton Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 19th, 2025 at 1:30pm – Mt. Pleasant Library in Pleasantville

September 19th, 2025 at 3pm – Bedford Hills Community House

September 19th, 2025 at 3:30pm – Mt. Pleasant Library in Pleasantville

September 19th, 2025 at 4pm – Bedford Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 19th, 2025 at 5pm – Dobbs Ferry Public Library

September 20th, 2025 at 10am – Joseph G. Caputo Center Ossining

September 22nd, 2025 at 12pm – Irvington Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 22nd, 2025 at 12pm – Rye Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 22nd, 2025 at 5:30pm – Rye Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 23rd, 2025 at 12pm – Larchmont Public Library

September 23rd, 2025 at 1pm -Rye Free Reading Room

September 23rd, 2025 at 2:30pm -Pleasantville Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 23rd, 2025 at 5pm -Rye Free Reading Room

September 23rd, 2025 at 5pm – Larchmont Public Library (View recording here)

September 24th, 2025 at 12pm – Mamaroneck Town Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 24th, 2025 at 12pm – Chappaqua Library New Castle

September 24th, 2025 at 5pm – Chappaqua Library New Castle

September 24th, 2025 at 5:30pm – Mamaroneck Town Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

September 25th, 2025 at 1:30pm – Ardsley Public Library

September 25th, 2025 at 5pm – Ardsley Public Library

September 25th, 2025 at 7:00pm – Larchmont Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 26th, 2025 at 12pm – Ardsley Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

September 26th, 2025 at 12pm – New Castle Virtual Session 3 – Register Here

September 26th, 2025 at 5pm – Larchmont Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

September 26th, 2025 at 2pm – Irvington Public Library

September 27th, 2025 at 12pm – Larchmont Public Library

September 27th, 2025 at 2pm – Irvington Public Library

September 29th, 2025 at 12pm – New Castle Virtual Session 4 – Register Here

October 1st, 2025 at 12pm – Tuckahoe Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

October 1st, 2025 at 5:30pm – Tuckahoe Public Library

October 1st, 2025 at 6:30pm – Pelham Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

October 3rd, 2025 at 12pm – Tuckahoe Public Library

October 3rd, 2025 at 1pm – Pelham Town House Community Center

October 3rd, 2025 at 5:30pm – Pelham Town House Community Center

Past Public Information Sessions

May 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM virtually on Google Meet
May 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM virtually on Google Meet (Video)

Sesión de Información Comunitaria: 28 de mayo de 2025 a las 7:00 PM en Google Meet

June 23rd, 2025 at 1:30pm at Ardsley Public Library (View recording here)

June 23rd, 2025 at 6:15pm at Mamaroneck Public Library

June 25th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Ossining Public Library

June 24th, 2025 at 3:30pm at New Rochelle Public Library

June 30th, 2025 at 5:30pm at Hastings-on-Hudson Library

July 1st, 2025 at 4:45pm at Pound Ridge Public Library

July 1st, 2025 at 6:15pm at Bedford Hills Community House

July 2nd, 2025 at 6:15pm at Larchmont Public Library

July 2nd, 2025 at 6:15pm at Mount Pleasant Public Library in Pleasantville

July 3rd, 2025 at 6:15pm at Warner Library in Tarrytown

July 3rd, 2025 at 6:15pm at Chappaqua Library in New Castle (View recording here)

July 7th, 2025 at 6pm at Dobbs Ferry Public Library

July 8th, 2025 at 6pm at the Rye Brook Village Hall

July 8th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Greenburgh Public Library

July 8th, 2025 at 12pm – Tarrytown Virtual Session (View recording here)

July 9th, 2025 at 5:15pm at The Field Library in Peekskill

July 10th, 2025 at 5pm at the Rye Brook Village Hall (View recording here)

July 10th, 2025 at 6:15pm at the Bedford Community House

July 10th, 2025 at 6:45 at The James F. Galgano Building Sleepy Hollow Senior Center

July 14th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Dobbs Ferry Public Library (View recording here)

July 15th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Greenburgh Public Library

July 15th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Croton Free Library

July 15th, 2025 at 12pm – Peekskill Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

July 16th, 2025 at 7pm – Peekskill Virtual Session 2 (View recording here)

July 16th, 2025 at 7pm – Bedford Virtual Session 1 (View recording here)

July 16th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Larchmont Public Library

July 17th, 2025 at 7pm – Larchmont Virtual Session – Register Here

July 17th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Pelham Town House

July 21st, 2025 at 4pm at the Tuckahoe Public Library

July 21st, 2025 at 6:15pm at Pelham Town House

July 21st, 2025 at 7pm – Greenburgh Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

July 22nd, 2025 at 12pm – New Castle Virtual Session 1 (View recording here)

July 22nd, 2025 at 6pm at White Plains Library (View recording here)

July 23rd, 2025 at 7pm – Tarrytown Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

July 23rd, 2025 at 12pm – Bedford Virtual Session 2 (View recording here)

July 23rd, 2025 at 12pm – Greenburgh Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

Click here for archive of events listings prior to 2025

July 23rd, 2025 at 6pm at the Rye City Hall

July 24th, 2025 at 6pm at White Plains Library (View recording here)

July 24th, 2025 at 7pm – Pelham Virtual Session – Register Here

July 25th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Warner Library in Tarrytown

July 28th, 2025 at 12pm – Mamaroneck Town Virtual Session 1 (View recording here)

July 28th. 2025 at 6pm – Rye City Hall

July 28th, 2025 at 7pm – Croton Virtual Session (View recording here)

July 29th, 2025 at 4:15pm at Ossining Public Library

July 29th, 2025 at 7pm – Dobbs Ferry Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

July 29th, 2025 at 12pm – Rye Brook Virtual Session (View recording here)

July 30th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Chappaqua Library in New Castle

July 30th, 2025 at 7pm – Hastings Virtual Info Session (View recording here)

July 30th. 2025 at 7pm – White Plains Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

July 31st, 2025 at 7pm – Dobbs Ferry Virtual Session 2- Register Here

July 31st, 2025 at 6:15pm at Irvington Public Library

July 31st, 2025 at 6:15pm at The Field Library in Peekskill

August 1st, 2025 at 3:30pm at the Tuckahoe Public Library (View recording here)

August 4th, 2025 at 6:15pm at James F. Galgano Building Sleepy Hollow Senior Center

August 4th, 2025 at 7pm – Irvington Virtual Session – Register Here

August 5th, 2025 at 5:30pm at Hastings-On-Hudson Library (View recording here)

August 5th, 2025 at 7pm – Pleasantville Virtual Session – Register Here

August 6th, 2025 at 12pm – Sleepy Hollow Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

August 6th, 2025 at 7pm – New Castle Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

August 6th, 2025 at 7pm – Mamaroneck Town Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

August 7th, 2025 at 12pm – Ossining Town/Village Virtual Session 1 – Register Here

August 7th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Irvington Public Library

August 7th, 2025 at 7pm – Tuckahoe Virtual Session – Register Here

August 11th, 2025 at 7pm – Sleepy Hollow Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

August 11th, 2025 at 12pm – White Plains Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

August 12th, 2025 at 12pm – Rye Virtual Session 1 (View the recording here)

August 12th, 2025 at 7pm – Ardsley Virtual Session – Register Here

August 13th, 2025 at 7pm – Rye Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

August 13th, 2025 at 7pm – Ossining Town/Village Virtual Session 2 – Register Here

August 14th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Ardsley Public Library

August 18th, 2025 at 6:15pm at Mount Pleasant Library

Commitment To Clean Energy

Since 2016, the Westchester Power Community Energy program has helped municipalities in Westchester County leverage the collective power of its residents to control costs and provide insurance against fluctuations in electricity supply through competitively priced and fixed-rate bulk purchasing, while also leading the transition to renewable energy in the state through Westchester Power’s 100% Renewable energy as the primary product subscription of most participants.

Renewable program participants annually mitigate 219,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of taking 49,000 cars off the road for a year!

For more about how Westchester Power fits into the clean energy transition click here.

A Community Energy Platform

The large scale of the program enables us to attract new opportunities for increased environmental impact and potential savings. These include:

Westchester Power Solar Credit offering – Sustainable Westchester is preparing to launch an exciting, new Solar Credit offering within the Westchester Power program in late 2023. The Solar Credit offering provides guaranteed savings to participating households and small businesses. The offering will prioritize the delivery of the Solar Credit savings to those enrolled in the existing utility’s low-income assistance program.

Demand Response – Previously available only to large commercial businesses, Sustainable Westchester has collaborated with a technology firm, Logical Buildings, to pilot demand response for residential customers. By cutting usage during a few peak hours of the year, ConEd can avoid switching on the dirtiest “Peaker Plants,” and will pay you money for that. Learn more about the GridRewards program and how to opt in here.

Let’s Talk About Clean Energy

Why clean energy? By now, everyone has heard of climate change, but it’s not always easy to make the connection to our daily lives. Our energy choices are, however, linked to many of the most serious challenges that we face these days, as well as the question of what kind of future we leave our children.

Most of our electricity is still generated by burning fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. This has contributed to our environment’s degradation, increasing temperatures, and local effects such as more frequent higher intensity storms and changes in seasonal patterns. Here’s a short video about the greenhouse effect which is responsible for this problem.

Solar, wind, and hydropower are emissions-free sources of energy. New York State has an aggressive plan to switch over to these clean energy sources and away from fossil fuels. Westchester communities have taken the lead in these efforts, and now dozens of NY communities have followed with similar programs.

Clean Energy Implications
for Westchester County

Our communities need to move away from fossil fuel-powered electricity quickly to help mitigate the challenges associated with climate change. A transformation towards clean-powered electricity is entirely possible.

Westchester Power communities can help accelerate this transition by promoting the generation of clean energy, as well as sending signals to electricity generators, investors, and governments that we place a high priority on ensuring a sustainable and healthy future.

Our energy choices and COVID 19

Studies are showing that areas with higher levels of pollution see worse outcomes from COVID 19. Many observers have pointed out the similarities in the challenges since both require collective, long-term action to solve.

Sea Level Rise

Over the past century, the Hudson has risen about a foot due to global warming (see this Scenic Hudson article), threatening households and habitats. This map shows how the Yonkers waterfront may fare over this century. We can reduce the impact and costs by taking strong action to reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.

Temperature Rise & Disparate Impacts

By the year 2100, on our current trajectory, New York starts to look more like Florida (Climate Central):

But like so many of the effects of global warming, the impact can vary greatly. Groundwork Hudson Valley has done amazing work to go one step further and show how the practice of Redlining has amplified the environmental justice aspect of the problem through the creation of “heat islands” [read more here]:

More resources about local climate change impacts