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Sustainability Committee 2023 Annual Progress Report A Note from Lindsay Audin, Chair Despite issues related to the COVID pandemic, the Sustainability Committee moved ahead in 2023 by expanding on efforts started between 2019 and 2022: ❖ Maintaining the Statewide leading position in NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Community (CEC) program, we were able to assemble additional grants. ❖ Earlier grants were spent on installing in one firehouse: 36-kW rooftop solar array, heat pump controls to enable heating as well as cooling, and a heat pump water heater, all of which greatly reduced use of utility power and fuel oil. ❖ Won a $150,000 grant from NY DEC for EV infrastructure at the Croton-Harmon train station involving 24 EV charging ports. ❖ Initiated our food scrap recycling program, enlisted ~100 participants, hired a site manager, and have been running it successfully for the full year. ❖ Continued work on the $14M 4.2 MW solar canopy project at the train station, scheduled for completion in 2024. We now look forward to securing about half a million dollars in new grants to install more solar, more heat pumps, more EVs and other activities as a sustainability leader in New York State. Visit our website and stay up-to-date on the latest news and announcements at https://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/sustainability-committee 2023 Overview Food Scrap Recycling Program: $14,000 DEC Grant In January 2023, the program was launched with the distribution of materials to the first 40 participants. Weekly pickups by the County have continued as participation more than doubled. After the 6-month grant period, the Village budgeted to continue funding the program. All grant funds were received, bringing the project in on time and under budget. Scraps are taken to the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) site in Cortlandt Manor where they are turned into compost. EV Chargers at Croton Train Station: $150,000 DEC Grant Secured in April 2023 Funding for a total of 24 charge ports (including panelboard, wiring, mounting pads, and chargers) was awarded in April, but problems between DEC and the State Comptroller have delayed work at this time. Washington Engine Firehouse Clean Energy Improvements: $100,000 Clean Energy Community Grants We used over $100,000 in Clean Energy Community (CEC) grants to install a 36-kW solar array atop the firehouse in January, and – in June - installed controls to use existing heat pumps (previously used only for cooling) by integrating them with the existing hydronic system to cut fuel oil use by 60+%. In July, we replaced the oil-fired indirect water heater with a heat pump water heater. Train Station Solar Canopy Project Much of the underground work has been completed. The 3.5 MW of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries are now in place, and we expect the first canopy to be installed at the south end this spring. Completion of the solar work is presently scheduled for October 2024. Electric Vehicles The Village bought two Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), a Ford Mustang Mach-E and a Nissan Leaf. Other EVs (either BEV or PHEV) are slated for purchase in 2024, including a Ford Lighting F- 150 pickup truck. Heat Pumps The Planning Board was able to persuade Regan Development to forgo installing gas service at its Maple Street apartment complex by instead installing air-source heat pumps (ASHP) for heating and cooling, and heat pump water heaters (HPWH) for water heating. Doing so will account for 66 new heat pump installations. Several residents installed ASHPs for their homes, and at least two installed ground-source heat pumps (GSHP). Community Outreach The usual April Earth Day event was cancelled due to heavy rains. We had produced new flyers and two large (18”x 24”) board displays (on composting and solar power) that will instead be used at the 2024 Earth Day event. Several web-based presentations were given on sustainability issues, and we participated in events sponsored by other climate action groups. About The Committee Created in 2009, Croton’s Sustainability Committee (SC) was chartered by the Village’s Board of Trustees to help reduce the climate impacts of the Village’s municipal operations. To that end, the SC has researched, developed, and recommended a variety of options that reduced emissions while saving money in the process. Among those options are: LED street and building lighting, cleaner fuels, and use of electric vehicles and chargers. Other efforts have involved community gardens, residential energy efficiency and solar power programs, and solid waste reduction. To help reduce emissions due to power consumed by homes and businesses, the SC fostered group purchasing of renewable power through Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). Members of the SC include sustainability advocates, energy consultants, and engineers. Committee Members Name Title Lindsay Audin Chair Dan Colombini Member Alexandra Barkan Member Jonathan Katz Member Niall Kelleher Member Bernie Yozwiak Member Ashley Clemente Member David Goldman Member Brian Pugh Trustee Liaison Len Simon Trustee Liaison