On-Bill Recovery Coming January 30
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Starting January 30, New Yorkers will be able to conveniently finance energy-efficient upgrades to their homes through a charge on their electric bill. On average, this charge will be less than the money saved by the improvements, so participants should not see their bills rise on a yearly basis. And if you act soon, you won’t have any payments due until June 2012.
This is the new On-Bill Recovery Loan Program, which we explained in November. The program will be available to homeowners who are customers of Central Hudson Gas and Electric, Con Edison, Long Island Power Authority, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation, National Grid (upstate NY customers only), Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. The program will soon be offered to small businesses, not-for-profits, and multifamily building owners, although it is not yet available for these groups.
NYSERDA recently released the details of the On-Bill Recovery program, which offers lower interest rates than its current financing programs. For a rundown of the newly released details and an explanation of how the program will benefit you, continue reading after the jump.
Posted in Energy, Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, NYSERDA, Sustainability | Permalink
Increased Funding for NYSERDA Program to Help Low-Income New Yorkers Reduce Energy Bills
Friday, January 20th, 2012To help larger numbers of low-income households cut their energy bills in the coming year, funding for EmPower New York will increase by $18 Million, providing a total of $46 million in 2012, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced last week. EmPower New York is a NYSERDA program to help low-income residents reduce their use of electricity, improve the efficiency of their heating systems and increase the comfort of their homes. Families that receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) spend 25 percent of their income on utilities, while median-income households spend 4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Posted in Clean Energy Connections Blog, Energy $mart Communities, Green Building, Housing, NYSERDA | Permalink
NYC Gets SunShot Award to Make It Easier to Install Solar
Thursday, January 19th, 2012The City University of New York (CUNY), on behalf of New York City, won a grant award in mid-December from the Rooftop Solar Challenge, a program of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support cutting the red tape involved with installing solar. The Rooftop Solar Challenge is part of SunShot, an ambitious initiative of the DOE to make solar cost competitive with other energy technologies without subsidies by the end of the decade. New York City was one of 22 state and municipal recipients of the award. Over the next two years, these 22 teams will implement step-by-step actions to standardize solar permitting processes, update planning and zoning codes, improve standards for connecting solar power to the electric grid, and increase access to financing.
The money awarded by the DOE is for SunShot NY, a two-phase $3.4 million dollar plan that aims to increase the accessibility and affordability of solar for New York City residents by driving down administrative costs.
Posted in Cleantech, Energy, Energy $mart Communities, New York City, Solar Power, Sustainability | Permalink
NYC Green Projects Win Economic Development Funding
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Following Governor Cuomo’s creation of 10 Regional Economic Development Councils in July last year, the newly created New York City Economic Development Council developed a plan to stimulate economic development and job growth in the region. On December 8, state agencies announced the funding awards that will put the plan into action, and New York City received over $66 million.
Many of the projects that received funding in New York City and around the state will reduce electricity use and promote sustainability. We are pleased to announce that Solar One received $229,000 for its Solar 2 project. The funding will go toward installing a green roof on Solar 2, a new energy positive and net-zero water use environmental learning center that will replace Solar 1 in Stuyvesant Cove Park.
Posted in Energy $mart Communities, New York City, NYSERDA, Solar 2, Solar One | Permalink
Coming in 2012: On-bill financing
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Paying for energy efficiency improvements is about to get a whole lot easier with the introduction of on-bill financing in New York State. If you are a home or business owner, paying the upfront cost of efficiency measures can be a major barrier, no matter how attractive the return-on-investment from energy savings is. With on-bill financing, which was passed into law by the Power NY Act of 2011, you will be able to pay for upgrades directly through a surcharge on your monthly utility bill. Better yet, the surcharge has to be lower than your energy savings, so your bills go down from the start. And if you move, the surcharges stay with the property’s utility bill, not with you.
NYSERDA is currently developing the on-bill financing program, which will available to the public in 2012. In the meantime, you can access the NYSERDA Green Jobs Green NY programs for audits and financing.
Want to know more? Click here for the full story.
Posted in Energy $mart Communities, Legislation | Permalink
