Page 48 - 2022 Westchester County Economic Development Guide

One Million Strong Green Businesses
Committed to Protecting
our Environment
Peter McCartt, Director of Energy Conservation and Sustainability at Westchester County, explains how the County’s long-standing commitment to environmental conservation is yielding results.
Earlier this year, the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) appointed Peter McCartt as an inaugural mem- ber to its newly established Climate Action Standing Committee, which will discuss ways to address climate change in New York and identify county opportunities to work collaboratively toward creating more resilient commu- nities. Here, McCartt discusses:
Reducing Westchester’s dependency on fossil fuel.
In recent years, Westchester County has taken critical steps to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and embrace a renewable energy infrastructure that will lower costs for residents and protect our planet from the catastrophic effects of climate change. I am happy to report that a large percentage of the electricity via the New York Power Authority used by the County for daily operations is derived from renewable sources, particularly hydroelectricity.
Supporting our net emissions goals.
To help achieve our ambitious goal of zero net emissions, Westchester County is entering the second phase of a comprehensive campaign with solar photovoltaic panels, this time adding in 35 municipalities and school districts and Community Solar, which offers residents the ability to purchase solar power at a discount, without the need to install panels on their homes. We’re supporting many other residential and local campaigns, including air- and ground-sourced heat pumps. Another
exciting project with major implications for us is the recently announced, massive windfarmupstate,whichwillsupply2.2 giga watts of wind energy to half a million homes in Westchester.
Balancing our energy supply.
We have expanded our demand response program with NuEnergen, which enables us to balance energy supply and demand in the County and helps protect against and minimize unplanned power outages. This program also helps the County earn substantial money over the life of the contract, minimize the need for more fossil fuel infrastructure, and provide an opportunity to further enhance the County’s sustainability efforts.
The environment.
Because of COVID, parks and the natural world are more in focus for a lot of people. The County has done a lot of great work in the environment, in terms of both air and water. Beyond a more sustainable electric bus system to reduce emissions, we are also doing a better job of maintaining our shorelines, which need to be protected from encroaching seas, or coastal creep. To this end, we’re doing studies of the Hutchinson River and the Edith G. Reed Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye. Additionally, the County has allocated $1.1 million for improvements at Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center in Yorktown, to educate and demonstrate sustainable and organic farming.
Getting things done.
We’re fortunate that County Executive
Latimer has long been committed to environmentalconservationefforts.For the 2022 budget, he has earmarked: nearly $32 million in appropriations for the purchase of electric hybrid buses, as well as $4.3 million to begin the process of electrifying the County’s two bus garages; and $1 million for the installation of EV charging stations at County facilities. It’s exciting to see these important projects coming to fruition, thanks to our shared vision and respect for science, as well as our discipline and commitment to protect our environment today and for generations to come.
THE GREEN BUSINESS BUREAU
The Business Council of Westchester
has partnered with the Green Business Bureau (GBB), a trusted authority in green business, to help its members achieve their sustainability goals. Offering levels of certification from “base” to “platinum, GBB’s online sus- tainability framework and customized tools will enable members to under- stand, prioritize, and implement
green initiatives, and measure/validate results. All BCW members are eligible for a free 60-day trial. Learn more at: https://greenbusinessbureau.com.
WHY JOIN?
• Reduce your impact on the environment
• Cut business costs • Engage employees • Attract customers
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
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