Dear Members, Colleagues, and Supporters,

Happy holidays! It’s been a busy and productive quarter for Sustainable Westchester, as we’ve continued to make vital contributions to the health, prosperity, and resilience of our entire region. Over the past several months, we’ve supported our member municipalities in achieving their sustainability goals and safeguarding communities against the threats posed by climate change through a variety of impactful programs and initiatives.

At a glance, we’ve recently been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to lead New York’s portion of the $45 million Renew America's Nonprofits program; unveiled a new “Sunshine to EV” electric vehicle fast charging station powered entirely by solar energy that is the first of its kind in New York State; stood with lawmakers enacting legislation advancing clean heating and cooling technologies; supported the installment of new and innovative Community Solar projects across the County; expanded our work delivering renewable energy and cutting carbon emissions through Westchester Power, the State’s first and largest Community Choice Aggregation program; conferenced with industry leaders and policymakers in Albany to discuss New York’s transition to clean energy; and helped scores of residents and businesses cut their electric bills and alleviate stress on our regional energy grid. 

And we’re just getting started! As Washington and Albany make unprecedented commitments to infrastructure, climate action, and clean power, Sustainable Westchester is ready to help our members understand and seize new and historic opportunities for progress. In the weeks and months ahead, we are looking forward to welcoming our new Executive Director Noam Bramson – who led the City of New Rochelle for the last 18 years and is widely credited with advancing the City’s sustainability goals – and hosting our Annual Members Meeting in February.

Thank you for your ongoing support and readership.  

Sincerely, 
The Sustainable Westchester Team 

Sustainable Westchester proudly unveiled a new electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station powered entirely by solar energy that is the first of its kind in New York State.

The project involves a complex system of an 85 kW solar photovoltaic array, a 180kWh on site storage battery, and twin Jule 75 kW DC fast chargers that can charge any kind of electric vehicle with more than 100 miles of range in under 24 minutes. The impact of the “Sunshine to EV” project extends well beyond powering EVs: excess electricity generated by the facility is prioritized for low-and moderate-income (LMI) households through Sustainable Westchester’s Community Solar program, which aims to equitably share the benefits of clean energy among historically underserved communities.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sustainable Westchester’s Mount Kisco headquarters was attended by a diverse range of state and local elected officials, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, EV charger manufacturer Jule, Con Edison, renewable energy industry leaders and environmental advocates. The group celebrated the cutting-edge initiative as a compelling proof of concept that could be replicated throughout New York in service of the State’s visionary climate, clean energy, and environmental justice goals.

The system was partially funded by a $250,000 grant through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure program, and also supported by the North American EV charger manufacturer Jule. The effort builds on recent progress to expand EV charging infrastructure in Westchester County, including the addition of 90 new stations by the City of Yonkers in April 2023, and 34 new stations by the Village of Tuckahoe.

The December 7 ribbon cutting ceremony for Sustainable Westchester’s “Sunshine to EV” charging station in Mt. Kisco. Pictured L to R: New York State Senator and Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Pete Harckham, Westchester Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, NYS Assemblyperson Chris Burdick; Sustainable Westchester Interim Executive Director Jim Kuster; Anthony Fiore, Chief Program Officer, NYSERDA; Mayor Michael Cindrich, Mt Kisco; John Petronella, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; Peter McCartt, Westchester County Director of Energy & Sustainability; William Serratore, Director of Sustainability, City of Yonkers; Theresa Flora, Mount Kisco Trustee; Michel Delafontaine; Sustainable Westchester Director of Business Development.

In November, Sustainable Westchester was proud to stand with New York State Senator and Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Pete Harckham in support of a key piece of recently enacted legislation ensuring that clean heating and cooling technologies will play a deeper role in our state's vibrant real estate development sector. The new law permitting geothermal boreholes deeper than 500 feet will help New York State meet decarbonization goals and boost local economies by opening new markets for clean heating and cooling technologies in densely populated regions.

DECEMBER 13, 2023
Sustainable Westchester, a renewable energy provider and advocacy group, recently unveiled a new EV fast charging station powered entirely by solar energy.

GridRewards

As temperatures soared this past summer, Sustainable Westchester continued to help thousands of Westchester County residents and businesses alleviate stress on the energy grid and receive cash payments for reducing energy consumption through GridRewards. The easy-to-use GridRewards app, powered by Logical Buildings is part of Con Edison’s Smart Usage Rewards program. More than 3,500 residents and businesses in Westchester County have signed up for GridRewards to date, and on average, each residential user received a direct cash payment of $80, with the top commercial users earning more than $20,000.