Local Government / Municipalities
Local governments are important drivers in the fight against climate change and the concurrent need to keep New York’s communities safe and sustainable places to live and work. Through municipal operations and local land use decisions, local governments have the opportunity to cut spending, reduce energy consumption, and promote a low-carbon economy. The Focus on Local Government sector will assist local governments with accessing funding available through NYSERDA and will offer a range of services that include providing technical assistance related to inventorying energy use, developing and implementing energy reduction strategies, and monitoring progress.
NYSERDA’s Focus on Local Governments supports the New York State Climate Smart Communities program, a State and local partnership to encourage climate protection.
How Can Focus on Local Governments Help Implement Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Measures:
- Identify opportunities for energy savings
- Develop an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Develop and implement a “local action plan” to reduce GHG emissions and save energy
- Monitor progress
NYSERDA Programs
NYSERDA is available to help local governments identify strategies for reducing energy demand and prioritizing a plan of action. NYSERDA programs can be used by local governments for services such as obtaining technical assistance or offsetting a portion of the incremental cost of an energy efficiency or renewable energy project.
Technical Assistance Programs:
- Energy Audit Program: For facilities with less than $75,000 in annual electricity bills, the Energy Audit program can identify effective cost-saving measures for buildings and facilities.
- FlexTech and Technical Assistance: These programs provide a variety of technical assistance services for identifying energy savings in buildings and facilities.
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program: NYSERDA provides financial assistance and technical information to encourage fleets to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs), install fueling facilities or charging stations, and use emission reduction technologies and anti-idling technologies for diesel vehicles.
Financial Incentive Programs:
- Existing Facilities Program is available to local governments for cost-shared support of many energy efficiency projects at a building or facility.
- New Construction Program and Green Buildings Services provides cost shared funding and technical assistance to identify and assess energy efficiency improvements for the design and construction of new and major renovation green building projects
- PV/Small Wind programs provide incentives and technical assistance for installation projects.
New York State Climate Smart Communities Program
Local governments play a key role in minimizing the risks of climate change and reducing its long-term costs: Local governments can reduce GHG Emissions by improving their own operations and developing sustainable land use guidelines for the community at large. Local governments can adapt to a changing climate by improving infrastructure, operations, and local land use decisions for resilience to anticipated changes due to the warming climate.
NYSERDA’s Focus on Local Governments supports the New York State Climate Smart Communities program, a state and local partnership to encourage climate protection. State agencies collaborating on the program include the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York State Department of State(DOS), and the New York State Public Service Commission(PSC). New York State local governments are encouraged to join the Climate Smart Communities program through signing the Climate Smart Communities Pledge (link), a model resolution that includes all the elements of a successful local climate program. Climate Smart Communities work with New York State and regional partners to address some or all of the actions identified in the pledge in a way that best serves their community needs.
The Climate Smart Communities Guide will include information that communities need to become climate smart, including step-by-step guidance for planning and implementing climate smart practices, information on resources and funding, examples of successful implementation, and considerations for measuring and monitoring success. A summary guide is currently available as a resource to local governments that summarizes some of the information that will be found in the Climate Smart Communities Guide. It discusses the first steps to becoming a Climate-Smart Community: pledging to combat climate change and taking inventory of the community’s GHG emissions. It also outlines the role of community planning in reducing GHG emissions and adapting to climate change.
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Other Programs
In addition to resources offered through NYSERDA and the Climate Smart Communities program, New York State promotes:
- ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability– ICLEI is a membership association of local governments committed to climate protection and sustainability. More than 500 local governments in the U.S., including nearly 40 in New York, have adopted ICLEI’s “five milestone” planning process to inventory current heat trapping emission sources, develop and implement a “Local Action Plan” to reduce these emissions, and monitor progress over time. ICLEI members are allowed access to special software that allows local governments to inventory emissions, quantify the effect of emission reduction measures, predict future emission levels, set reduction targets and track progress. To help members complete inventories, ICLEI USA provides technical support, online training and additional tools for collecting, inputting, and analyzing energy data.
- The Climate Registry– Twenty-one New York public and private organizations, including three local governments, DEC and NYSERDA, have enrolled as reporting members to The Climate Registry (TCR). TCR is a nonprofit partnership that has established a common system for recording, independently verifying, and publicly reporting greenhouse gas emissions, both entity-wide and at the facility level. Membership is voluntary and a fee is charged. Reporting entities are required to have their inventories verified by a third party and publicly report their emissions. The benefits of developing an inventory through TCR include the ability to verify and document early GHG reduction actions that will enable a local government to be recognized as an environmental leader. To simplify the inventory process, TCR provides exclusive access to Web-based accounting software and extensive technical support. Local governments are responsible for the cost of joining the Climate Registry, for staff time to collect and report data, and for the cost of third-party verification of emission inventories. Contact the Climate Registry for estimates of these costs to your community.
- Clean Cities Program – The Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program is designed to accelerate the introduction of AFVs, including vehicles fueled by natural gas, propane, methanol, hydrogen, or ethanol, or that use electricity as the primary motive force into fleets through regional partnerships and collaboration. The Clean Cities Sharing Network provides members with information about policies, incentives, and case studies that relate to AFVs. Members are eligible to receive priority federal funding through the Department of Energy, administered by NYSERDA.
- The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) – NYSP2I is hosted by the Rochester Institute of Technology in partnership Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, and the University at Buffalo, along with the state's ten regional technology development centers, through funding from NYSDEC. NYSP2I provides research, technology development and diffusion, outreach, and training services to promote sustainability in New York State. NYSP2I has partnered with Monroe County to develop a comprehensive sustainability program for county operations and is available for a similar partnership at other locations throughout the state.
- Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) works with communities throughout the Northeast to find solutions to climate change and build constituencies for effective climate policies and actions. CA-CP can organize events and training opportunities, advise on mitigation and adaptation strategies, document and publicize the benefits of local climate action, and offer information to support community-based initiatives. Check out CA-CP’s online Community Toolkit, created in partnership with Jeffrey H. Taylor and Associates, for free project guidance, sample ordinances, financing information and relevant contacts to help local officials plan and implement GHG mitigation strategies.
Other Potential State Assistance
What’s going on around the State?
Regional advocacy organizations
There are several operating organizations that serve to coordinate and engage localities around the issue of climate change on a regional scale:
- Sustainable Hudson Valley
- Long Island Clean Energy Leadership Taskforce
- Adirondack Climate Action Plan
Local Climate Action Examples
Westchester Action Plan for Climate Change and Sustainable Development – In 2007, County Executive Andy Spano appointed 33 stakeholders representing county and municipal government, business and education sectors, and environmental advocates to the Westchester Global Warming Task Force. The Task Force , which also welcomed participation by 75 ‘associate members’, developed the Westchester County Government Global Warming Action Plan (2008), which includes an inventory of community GHG emissions, as well as reduction strategies for county government, municipal government, business and education sectors. The Action Plan serves as a basis for collaboration and a guidebook of resources to local governments, businesses, institutions and individuals within the county including information on how to conduct a GHG emissions inventory, and potential reduction strategies for energy use, transportation, land use, water resources and solid waste management. In 2008 the County Executive appointed 15 stakeholders to the County Climate Change Advisory Council to coordinate implementation of the Action Plan throughout the county.
Town of Irondequoit – Irondequoit Town Supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman appointed an “Environmental Sustainability Task Force” in 2007, which has charged with finding ways for the Town to save energy and become more environmentally sustainable. The Final Report of the Task Force included recommendations for improving both municipal operations and land use practices in the Town and were aimed at reducing energy costs, using fewer resources, reducing waste, and improving the health of the Town's environment.
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Contact Information
For further information please contact NYSERDA toll-free at
1-866-NYSERDA, or locally at 518-862-1090,
or email to: info@nyserda.org
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