Croton-on-Hudson Becomes State’s Leading Clean Energy Community
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Village of Croton-on-Hudson is now the top-ranking Clean Energy Community in New York State, leading 503 designated communities statewide with a score of 8,000 points on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities (CEC) Scorecard.
The two projects which pushed Croton into first place were the completion of heat pump controls in the Washington Engine firehouse, producing 700 points, and the addition of four EV chargers at the Department of Public Works (DPW) garage on Yorktown Road, which produced another 200 points.
The heat pump controls will allow the use of existing air conditioning equipment to heat part of the building, thereby cutting its use of fuel oil. The controls project was fully funded by grants from the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), while the chargers were installed using Village funds. The heat pump work was performed by Carey & Walsh Inc., a Briarcliff Manor contractor. The chargers were installed by DPW staff.
Power to run the heat pumps is being supplied by recently installed solar panels on the firehouse’s rooftop. The 36-kilowatt array annually avoids the emission of about 16 tons of greenhouse gases, while providing free power for all of the firehouse's needs. All costs were covered by a grant from NYSERDA.
The Village’s Sustainability Committee developed the firehouse projects and aggressively pursued the grants that covered their costs. While not yielding any new grants, those projects will better position Croton-on-Hudson when grant opportunities become available.
Mayor Brian Pugh hailed the efforts and the Village’s first-in-the-state position: “Our new EV charging stations, new heat pump controls and solar array are more great examples of how even small communities can help reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions causing climate change.”
For more information, please contact the Village Manager’s office at 914-271-4848.