The Croton Sustainability Committee's April 26 meeting, held via Zoom, ranged across several fronts — from Con Ed delays threatening an EV charger grant to near-complete solar canopies at the train station and steady growth in the village's food scrap recycling program. Committee chair Lindsay Audin led the session, which was attended by Mayor Brian Pugh, Deputy Mayor Len Simon, and committee members including Ashley Clemente, Dan Columbini, David Goldman, Jon Katz, Carly Shanks, Edwin Adkins, and Corey Cummings. Cheryl Wong, the food scrap program coordinator, and Niall Kelleher, representing community gardens, also attended.

EV Chargers: Racing the Clock

The committee's most pressing concern is a ~$150K state DEC grant for train station EV chargers that expires September 30. Con Ed has given an in-service date of November 25, 2026, for the transformer needed to power the chargers — well past the grant deadline. Audin asked NY DEC in March to extend the grant to September 2027, but no response has come. Pugh and Simon agreed to ask State Sen. Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg to press DEC for an answer. In the meantime, work with the contractor PISO is proceeding slowly. An issue has surfaced over the interconnection point to an adjacent 13.2 kV overhead power line: to minimize cost, the connection would need to run underground, potentially consuming a parking spot and possibly eliminating one of the 18 planned charging stations. No decision has been made.

Solar Canopies and DPW Project

The train station solar canopies are close to commissioning. After a dead Canadian goose was removed from the site earlier in April, Con Ed discovered an outdated nameplate on one of the battery energy storage system (BESS) inverters, requiring replacement. Once that is resolved, Con Ed will issue a formal Permission to Operate, and power will begin flowing to the grid. The separate DPW solar canopy project is also moving forward. Rivertown Solar is securing a ~$39K NY-SUN incentive, has performed test borings for foundation work, filed for interconnection with Con Ed, and will soon order the canopy kit. The goal is installation by Labor Day. Jon Katz raised a question about locking in a 30% federal tax credit under IRA Section 48E. Audin explained that securing it through mid-2030 requires proving a 5% expenditure — roughly $16,000 — by July 4. Missing that deadline would instead require finishing the project by June 30, 2027, which Audin said should not be a problem.

E-Bikes Expand

Simon provided an update on the village's e-bike program, which re-launched April 6. Two new hubs are being added at Senasqua Park's entrance and near the North Riverside Drive pedestrian overpass on NYS DOT property, still under negotiation. Since the program launched in 2025, roughly 1,400 rides have been logged on Croton's e-bikes.

Renewable Diesel Recognition

At an April 23 ceremony in Yonkers, Pugh accepted a 2026 EcoAward from the Westchester County Dept. of Environ. Facilities, along with Certificates of Achievement from the County Board of Legislators, recognizing Croton's transition of its heavy-duty truck fleet to renewable diesel. Pugh also participated in a Business Council of Westchester clean energy panel on April 14 in Ossining, where he and Leo Wiegman of Sustainable Westchester later led about 20 attendees on a tour of Croton's solar canopies and BESS installation.

Food Scrap Recycling Grows

The food scrap recycling program expanded to all Croton residents on March 19 and has reached 220 participants as of April 20, up from about 45 when the program launched in 2022. Wong will run a textile recycling collection at Croton's May 2 Earth Day event, featuring a clothing exchange alongside the local Girl Scouts troop's collection table.

BESS 2.0 and Intern Search

A draft consulting agreement related to the Luminace Letter of Intent for a second battery storage installation was approved by Village Manager Bryan Healy and sent to the village attorney for review. The agreement addresses village requirements for a development fee in case the village declines to proceed. The committee is also exploring hiring a part-time intern to assist with project development. Audin met with Simon on April 21 about the role; a small (~$7.4K) NYSERDA grant would cover roughly 60% of first-year wages, with the village covering the remainder. A grant application was filed April 12. The committee's next meeting is set for Sunday, May 31, at 10 a.m. via Zoom.