County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced plans to study the potential installation of renewable energy equipment at three county buildings.
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will examine the practical uses of solar and geothermal energy at Westchester’s Public Labs Building in Valhalla, Public Safety Headquarters at 1 Saw Mill River Road in Hawthorne and 375 Executive Blvd. in Elmsford. If those buildings are not found suitable, other locations will be studied for feasibility.
The study aims to take advantage of renewable energy in order to reduce operating costs and protect the environment.
“By moving toward the use of clean, renewable energy at county buildings, such as solar and geothermal power, we have a terrific opportunity to combine those two important principles,” Astorino said in a press release. The county executive said the study will be paid for under an existing agreement with NYPA, with no additional cost to the county.
After a preliminary internal review of all county-owned facilities, three buildings in Westchester met the specific requirements that fit the parameters needed for study. A specialized agency helped in narrowing down the initial pool of candidates to finalize the candidates.
In 2011, Astorino offered a sales tax exemption for homeowners who installed solar energy systems.
Other environmental initiatives sponsored by Astorino’s administration include expanding the recycling program in Westchester to accept a range of recyclables, opening a facility that handles hazardous waste, starting an initiative that uses compost from food waste and uses it to fertilize gardens for the Westchester Food Bank and switching to cleaner natural gas power at Westchester’s airport and Material Recovery Facility.
