KINGSTON – The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority , announced on Tuesday Ulster County is the first county in the state to be designated a Clean Energy Community for its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy in its communities.
The designation gives Ulster the opportunity to apply for up to $250,000 toward additional clean energy projects with no local cost share.
County Executive Michael Hein noted it is an ongoing effort to maintain its energy sustainability.
“It is a continual process about making sure that we are being environmentally responsible while simultaneously while helping to best serve the taxpayers of Ulster County,” Hein said. “So, the $250,000, if we are to qualify for it, would be an enormous benefit especially as we look to build out things like our family court building.”
Ulster County won the designation for completing the following high-impact clean energy actions:
Established an Energize NY Finance Program
Installed electric vehicle charging stations at nine sites and uses plug-in hybrid vehicles in the county fleet
Earned Climate Smart Communities “Bronze” Certification
Adopted benchmarking policies to track and report energy use in municipal buildings
