\NEW LEBANON – The New Lebanon town board has approved the installation of a heat pump in the town highway garage in a move to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Unlike traditional furnaces, heat pumps are powered by electricity and pull in heat from outside air, even in freezing temperatures. The technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the electric grid is increasingly powered by renewable energy. The installation will be funded by a grant from the state’s Clean Energy Communities program. It also coincides with a new informational campaign aimed at educating residents about the benefits of heat pumps.
The town’s initiatives come as the state introduces its first annual inventory of greenhouse gases as well as a proposal for reducing emissions across key sectors, including buildings and transportation.
Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling noted that New Lebanon has already been working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions for several years. “Starting in 2017, we approved a streamlined solar permitting process for residents. We have also introduced community solar for residents who can’t install solar panels,” she said.
Other initiatives include installing LED streetlights, which greatly reduced power consumption, as well as installing an electric vehicle charger near the town library and rail trail.
Looking forward to 2022, the town’s Climate Smart Communities Task Force is aiming to expand its community composting efforts, which today collects coffee grounds from local restaurants. Keeping organic material out of landfills can reduce emissions of methane, a particularly damaging greenhouse gas, the supervisor said.
The town also runs a Free Store of donated clothing, and a bike recycling program, which provides refurbished bicycles to local residents.
The town is also planning to join additional “Repair Cafes” where volunteers repair broken items for residents. “All of these efforts help reduce emissions by reducing the number of things we need to manufacture, while at the same time saving our residents money,” Houghtling said.
