New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that $2.1 million in grant funding is available to local municipalities for electrification projects; the announcement came at a press conference held at the EV charging station here in Louis Engel Waterfront Park. Each municipality in the 40th Senate District is eligible for up to $100,000 in grants, which are part of the State Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST) funding.
Joining Harckham was a bipartisan group of more than a dozen local municipal leaders who spoke about how they plan to use the grant funding for projects that transition away from fossil fuels and promote a clean energy future.
“There are many compelling reasons to support the electrification of our local economies, including the severe effects of climate change we are now experiencing, public health problems related to air pollution and the simple fact that fossil fuel combustion is not a cost-effective way to heat and cool our buildings and power our vehicles,” said Harckham. “In order to meet the carbon-free, reduced greenhouse gas emissions goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, we need to partner with our municipalities right now to help them participate in this energy transition, and that’s what this grant funding will do.”
To see a video of the press conference, click here.
Harckham said that as chair of Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, he would prioritize municipal grant applications that support projects such as:
- Electric vehicles (Heavy trucks and emergency only)
- EV charging stations
- Renewable energy generation
- Municipal building electrification (heat pumps, geothermal, etc.)
New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requires New York to achieve a carbon-free electricity system by 2040 and has set a goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2030, and 85% by 2050.
Town of Ossining Supervisor Liz Feldman said, “We are thankful that Senator Pete Harckham has taken the initiative to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in our district. This opportunity to replace our gas- and diesel-powered lawn and grounds maintenance equipment will not only make a difference in the emissions coming from our community, but will also increase the quality of life for our residents through quieter maintenance of our parks and grounds.”
Village of Croton-on-Hudson Trustee Len Simon said, “Croton-on-Hudson was recently named the number one Climate Energy Community in New York State. Thanks to Senator Pete Harckham and the CREST funding announced today, Croton’s momentum in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing our sustainability can be accelerated. We’ll look forward to dedicating these CREST resources to acquisition of new electric vehicles to continue the growth of our EV fleet for the benefit of all of Croton’s residents.”
