The Westchester County Board of Legislators voted Monday night to eliminate a 33-year old county energy agency and create a county Office of Energy Conservation.
The legislators voted to repeal a local law passed in 1982 that established the County of Westchester Public Utility Service Agency, whose mission was to “to acquire low-cost hydroelectric or other economical forms of electricity from New York state and state agencies for resale to utility customers in the Con-Ed service area within Westchester County,” according to a press release from the board.
Dissolving the agency will return more than $1.8 million to the county, the press release said.
The customer base for the agency dwindled over the years, lawmakers said, making the agency unnecessary. In 2012, the energy agency’s few remaining customers were enrolled in ReCharge New York, a state economic development power program.
The county will establish the Office of Energy Conservation and the position of energy director, expected to be filled by Tim Carey, the previous executive director of the Public Utility Service Agency. Carey also served as the chief operating officer of the New York Power Authority and as a Westchester County legislator from 1984 to 1993.
As energy director, he will apply energy policy across county departments to reduce fossil fuel and water consumption through conservation, energy efficiency measures and alternative energy sources, lawmakers said. He will also be responsible for establishing policies on green purchasing, solid waste recycling, green building and greenhouse gas reduction.
The Office of Energy Conservation will pursue government funding through grants. Outside of county operations, Carey will provide assistance, leadership and coordination to community agencies, local governments and businesses in the area of environmental sustainability.
Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz first proposed the Office of Energy Conservation and the position of energy director in 2005 and said he is glad to finally see it come to fruition.
“While no law is perfect, this dual legislation is an excellent solution to two problems and as close to perfect as I could have hoped for,” Kaplowitz said in the press release.
