Waste Reduction

recycle

Before you discard anything, read on.

Waste = value when you’re in the know. Share ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose. Explore deconstruction, donation, pre-cycling, product reduction, packaging reduction, precycling, carry in carry out.

Employers, CFO’s, town councils, and regular folks, too, learn how to capture the carbon and save!

Choosing a Contractor For Your NYSERDA Energy Work: What You Need to Know

Written by Lea Cullen – Boyer Monday, 24 November 2014 00:00

ice on north south lake

This is the year to remedy the cold spots in your home, lower your fuel bills and reclaim your interior real estate from Winter.

Let the State of New York help you with funding for services from qualified energy efficiency professionals.  These professionals will help you make a punch list of actions you can take to make your home more comfortable. You can use this information to do it yourself or you can choose to take advantage of low cost and creative loans with no up front cost to pay here

 

 

Hudson River Water Quality. From Riverkeeper.

 

 

Electric Rates in the Hudson Valley Part 2

Written by Natara Feller Thursday, 03 July 2014 21:25

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By Benjamin Falber

As we left off in Part I, the fight over the Hudson Valley’s energy future has gone to federal court. NYISO’s new capacity zone is going to raise prices for ratepayers by $70 million this summer just as the sting from this past winter’s polar vortex price spikes are beginning to wear off. When this sort of danger strikes who are you going to call? The NYPSC and the CHG&E (expecting someone else?) each filed separate, now consolidated, petitions at the Federal Court here

 

 

Hudson Valley’s Energy Future.

Written by Natara Feller Tuesday, 01 July 2014 13:06

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Electricity rates are expected to rise $280 million per year with $70 million of that coming just this summer across the Mid-Hudson Valley. There is a serious reliability problem in the region because there just is not enough energy available to consumers. To solve this problem, the federal government recently approved a new capacity zone for the Hudson Valley, which means that local ratepayers are going to have to front the money to build new generation.

This comes just as New York State is here

Hudson Valley & NYC Brace As Imminent Changes to New York’s Energy Markets Approach

Written by Natara Feller Friday, 11 April 2014 13:27

Natara feller Energy Law logo water

The race to solve New York’s energy future is on and competing solutions have hit a new threshold of controversy.  In one corner, Governor Cuomo wants to build new transmission lines to bring power from update resources to serve downstate demand.  In the other corner, FERC has approved the New York Independent System Operator’s (a regional transmission organization operating under FERC’s umbrella) solution to create of a new downstate capacity zone  made up of the Lower Hudson Valley here

SWEAC Something Brilliant Streetlight Forum

Written by Lea Cullen – Boyer Friday, 22 November 2013 16:13

 

SWEAC Something Brilliant Streetlight Forum

Southern Westchester Energy Action Consortium’s Energy Efficient Street Light Forum shared Yonkers, Eastchester and Dobbs Ferry’s success’s in LED Street Light Retrofitting and connect with thought leaders who can help keep your municipality bright and in the black.

SWEAC, in collaboration with Abundant Efficiency LLC, organized an Energy Efficient Streetlight Forum generously hosted by Pace Land Use Law Center on November 7th, 2013.   29 local governments were registered for this eve here

15 Questions to Ask the Reference Your Energy Audit Contractor Gave

Written by Lea Cullen – Boyer Wednesday, 13 November 2013 11:30

15 Questions to Ask the Reference Your Energy Audit Contractor Gave

Getting your free home energy audit is a brilliant financial move!  Getting references from at least 3 of your potential auditor’s  satisfied customers is critical to saving money and your sanity! This Contractor Reference Check Script will help. Feel free to add more questions. If you do please send them to us so we can update this script for others!

Reference Interview Questions:

1. How did you meet this contractor?

Take note of answers like: “He’s my cousin’s friend etc..”  No here

 

 

 

How Do I Choose a NYSERDA Free Energy Audit Contractor

Written by Lea Cullen – Boyer Wednesday, 13 November 2013 00:00

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Financial incentives for energy efficiency, solar and wind are a moving target in New York state.  Looking to save money and have a more comfortable home? Energy efficiency is the fisrt step.  Combining incentives, tax breaks and outright free services can save you enough to pay for the kids college.

How to begin?

Be prepared. Get a Free Certified Energy Audit.This will determine where you are really loosing heat and money (It’s some times not the obvious!) and the best Re here

CRREO Brief Released on Energy Action Consortia

Written by Lea Cullen – Boyer Wednesday, 11 September 2013 06:43

 

 

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The Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz has released its tenth discussion brief, “Energy Action Consortia: Moving Municipalities Toward Collective Sustainability.”

This is a case study of how the national economic crisis in 2008 produced local opportunity for a collaborative group of municipalities in Westchester County, N.Y.

From a founding membership of 12 municipalities in April 2009, the original group of collaborating towns and villages has g here

 

Solar Install Tax Eliminated. Thanks Catherine Borgia and Westchester County Board of Legislators

Written by Lea Cullen – Boyer Monday, 19 August 2013 00:00

 

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Yonkers Green Policy Task Force salutes

Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining)

for Initiating County-Wide Green Legislation

The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) unanimously approved an Act last week to amend the Westchester County Sales and Compensating Use Tax to exempt the sale and installation of commercial solar energy systems equipment from existing county sales tax. The vote for approval took place at the BOL’s regular meeting. Passage of the new Act began when here