Ever wondered just how big of an impact your energy consumption patterns can have? Many of us may be familiar with the reminder to turn off the light when you leave a room, or turning down the air conditioning overnight so that your electricity bills aren’t as high as they would otherwise be. However, some of us may not be as aware of the environmental justice impacts of doing so, and how timing can play a crucial role.

That’s why on Thursday, November 10th, 2022 from 7-8PM, Sustainable Westchester will host a webinar on the role that peaker power plants (sometimes known as “peakers”) play in supplying our energy demand, and the severe environmental and social justice impacts that accompany them. Today, we wanted to highlight the incredible speakers who will be talking about their respective group’s efforts to raise awareness and tackle these important issues. Learn more about them below:

Shelley Robbins: Shelley Hudson Robbins is a Project Director at Clean Energy Group. Her work focuses on the Phase Out Peakers Project and the Resilient Power Project. Shelley joined Clean Energy Group after working for Upstate Forever in South Carolina for more than 13 years. At UF, she created the organization’s energy program, fought natural gas pipeline expansion, supported clean energy in both the statehouse and at the Public Service Commission, and worked on energy burden and just transition issues. Shelley has also worked for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Florida Governor’s Office (defending the state from offshore drilling), and the Florida Public Service Commission. She has an economics degree from Duke University and an MBA from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Victor Davila: Victor Davila has been a Bronx based community organizer for over 16 years and attended the University of Vermont. They are the co-founder of the environmental education skate group Eco Ryders, Community organizer and ACTION program manager at The Point CDC, and a member of the New York Renews organizing committee.

David Klatt: As the COO of Logical Buildings, David is responsible for analyzing and optimizing building energy performance through the implementation of software and cleantech capital projects across thousands of buildings. He sits on the CREtech Climate Leadership Board, is cleantech 40 under 40 and is a member of the cleantech leaders roundtable. David is passionate about making energy efficiency fun, easy and accessible and using data analytics and technology to effectuate positive environmental change in buildings.

Prior to co-founding Logical Buildings, David was an associate at Castleton Commodities International where he focused on derivatives trading and asset acquisition opportunities across the energy landscape. Before joining Castleton, David began his career as an analyst in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Power and Energy Investment Banking group working primarily on power generation, electric and gas utilities, and renewable energy M&A.

David graduated summa cum laude from University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

If you’re interested in participating and learning more, we invite you to visit the Facebook Event page and register for the event at https://bit.ly/PeakerPlantWebinar.

We hope to see you there!

It’s Not Just in the Lights: How More Mindful Energy Usage Can Advance Environmental Justice

Authored By: Lauren Kroell

For many looking to support sustainability efforts, one of the first steps is to practice more eco-conscious habits at home. Many of us have heard the tried-and-true advice of turning off the lights once you leave the room as a way to conserve energy – but some may not be as aware of the environmental justice impacts of doing so, and how conserving energy at key times can play a crucial role.

So where do we begin when it comes to unpacking electricity usage during times of high demand? Look no further than peaker power plants. Sometimes referred to as “peakers,” these power plants use fossil fuels (generally fracked gas and fuel oil) to generate and deliver electricity to the grid when extra supply is needed to meet increased electricity demand. But here’s the catch – peaker plants are only turned on during these high demand periods, and when they are, it’s generally only for a few hours (or less) at a time. Despite these low run times, it is estimated that $4.5 billion in ratepayer funds have gone towards propping up peaker plants in New York City (Clean Energy Group). This makes peaker plants both energy and cost inefficient.

The environmental justice impacts are made clear when recognizing how the vast majority of peakers are located in low-income neighborhoods and/or communities of color. This means that when we use energy during high-demand periods, the peakers that supply our energy demand contribute to the higher rates of emissions in marginalized communities – including dangerous greenhouse gases and air pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (NOX), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) (Clean Energy Group, Peaker Mapping Tool). As such, it is crucial that we become more aware of how to better manage our energy usage so these impacts aren’t as severe.

That’s why on Thursday, November 10th, 2022 from 7-8PM, Sustainable Westchester will host a webinar on how peaker power plants impact local communities. We will be hearing from several groups working to raise awareness about these important issues, who will provide elaboration on the points above and show us how to make a difference at home. If you’re interested in participating and learning more, we invite you to visit the Facebook Event page and register for the event at https://bit.ly/PeakerPlantWebinar.

We hope to see you there so that you can learn how to be a more mindful energy consumer – because problems like these can be alleviated by the flip of a switch.

Sustainable Westchester Commends Member Municipalities for their Support of the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act

Authored By: Lauren Kroell

On November 8th, New Yorkers will cast their votes in the 2022 midterm elections. Although this election – just like any other – is crucially important in exercising your right to choose who will represent you, your ballot will also include a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve quality of life for all New Yorkers.

The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act (“the Bond Act”) is a crucial piece of legislation that will set aside $4.2 billion for upgrading aging and unsafe infrastructure, retrofitting buildings to be more energy efficient, expanding green space, and advancing environmental justice efforts. The Bond Act is expected to support the creation of over 84,000 jobs statewide and improve public health by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. Its passage would reinforce New York State’s standing as a national leader in climate action and secure widespread, community-level benefits for present and future generations to come.

In response to the Bond Act’s feature on the November 8th ballot, many resolutions have been passed in support of its enactment – including by the Westchester County Board of Legislators affirming their support for the Bond Act on October 3rd, 2022. Sustainable Westchester applauds the BOL’s efforts to put the public first and amplify the Bond Act’s importance to society.

• Village of Hastings-on-Hudson: passed by the Mayor and Board of Trustees on 10/11/22. (Source)
• Town of Ossining: passed by the Town Board on 9/13/22. (Source)
• Town of Bedford: passed by Town Board on 8/16/2022. (Source)
• Village of Croton-on-Hudson: passed by the Board of Trustees on 10/3/2022. (Source)
• Town of Mamaroneck: passed by the Town Board on 10/3/2022. (Source)
• Town of Greenburgh: passed by the Town Board on 10/12/2022. (Source)
• Village of Larchmont: passed by the Board of Trustees on 10/3/2022. (Source)
• Town of North Salem: passed by the Town Board on 10/25/2022 (Source)
• Town of New Castle: passed by the Town Board on 10/25/2022 (Source)
• Village of Ossining: passed by the Board of Trustees on 9/21/2022. (Source)
• City of New Rochelle: passed by the City Council on 10/12/2022. (Source)
• Village of Pelham: passed by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Board of Trustees on 10/11/2022. (Source)
• Scarsdale Towns: passed by the Village Board on 10/25/2022 (Source)
• Village of Mamaroneck: passed by the Board of Trustees on 10/11/2022 (Source)
• Village of Ardsley: passed by the Board of Trustees on 10/3/2022 (Source)
• Village of Rye Brook: passed by the Board of Trustees on 10/25/2022
• Rye Town: passed by Town Council on 10/20/202 (Source)
• Town of Pound Ridge: passed by the Town Board on 10/11/2022 (Source)

*As of November 2, 2022 please note that this may not be a complete list. If your municipality should be added, please email [email protected]

These resolutions cited common needs to enhance natural resource protection, modernize transportation and water-related infrastructure, ensure safeguards against extreme weather events, and accelerate pollution reduction – all of which can be realized through the Bond Act’s passage.

Sustainable Westchester joins these municipalities in calling on all voters to flip the ballot on November 8th and vote YES for the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act.

If you want to take action, here are some ways to show your support:

• Follow @NYBondAct on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for posts + graphics to reshare.
• Contact Sustainable Westchester at (914) 242-4725 x122 to learn about materials available for distribution (including lawn signs, palm cards and more).

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Right

New technology brings an update to a beloved phrase.

Authored By: Curtis Dorval and Brooklyn Flick

If you grew up during the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s you probably remember seeing or hearing public service announcements for recycling: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” three chasing arrows in a triangle, and a feel good message of communities saving the planet. The “three R’s” are probably one of the most effective messaging campaigns ever created. Not only is it easy to remember, but those three simple words convey the entire meaning behind the message.

As we celebrate the phrase’s 50th anniversary, it’s important for us to reflect on both its influence throughout history and its impact within our lives today. Specifically we need to understand how it affects our finances, the environment, and environmental justice issues. But to begin this process, we must start by learning about the unspoken “R” in the concept, otherwise known as Recycling “Right”.

Financial

When we create less waste and recycle properly, we spend less money and can use the savings to invest towards incentives for the community. In fact, many people do not know that municipalities have to pay a fee to send trash to the landfill and if the quantity of trash is reduced, then the associated costs of disposal also decrease. The result is efficient tax dollar usage, leading to improved technologies and business incentives (when the government invests in updated infrastructure, businesses are more productive). The job market also benefits immensely from proper recycling. According to the EPA, in the United States alone, there are currently 681,000 jobs, 37.8 billion in wages, and 5.5 billion in tax revenues to be had from recycling. These numbers parallel many oil and gas companies in size.

Climate Justice

Most landfills, incinerators, and waste management plants are located in communities with the majority of its tenants being low income and/or People Of Color. As history has shown, this is unethical, and the voices of the people who are most affected are often underrepresented or ignored despite having the same basic constitutional rights as any other American.

The importance of recognizing the effect of proximity to waste is crucial, especially when exposure to waste disposal sites has been the subject of numerous health-related studies. While conclusions vary, most research indicates that there are direct risks associated with living near disposal sites, including an increased risk for birth defects, cancer, and asthma.

We also know that the financial aspect is clear; waste disposal sites drive down home values. But why should we care about where people choose to live? The reality is that sometimes there is no choice.

For decades, federal and state institutions engaged in redlining. In short, banks and realtors refused to provide lending to People of Color and access to certain communities. This restricted People of Color to live in neighborhoods with low home values. Redlining stifled wealth building for these homeowners. While the full solution is much more complex (one instance can be found here), one solution is improving communities and home values.

By improving recycling technology alongside implementing greenspaces and community run programs, the desirability of these neighborhoods will improve. This can happen faster if we reallocate financial resources to invest in improved waste disposal technology, brought about by reducing waste expenses.

In addition, the UN has devised a set of 17 SDG’s or Sustainable Development Goals that recognize the intersectionality of equitable treatment of environmental issues. The utilization of these goals in the response to excess waste can be helpful as a basis for thinking of potential solutions in the future.