Port Chester is Westchester’s latest ‘Clean Energy Community’

Port Chester is the latest Westchester County municipality to be recognized by the state for its clean energy efforts.

port chester downtown master plan — A section of downtown Port Chester. File photo

The village announced May 23 it was designated a “Clean Energy Community” by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The program, announced in 2016 by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, offers up to $250,000 to designated communities to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects. The state has set aside $16 million total for the initiative.

Port Chester received the designation for completing four of the 10 so-called “high-impact clean energy actions” that NYSERDA uses to judge municipalities. The village”™s efforts included providing training on energy code enforcement, adopting a standard solar permit application, converting streetlights to LED and conducting energy use benchmarking of municipal facilities.

The designation gives Port Chester an opportunity to apply for up to $5,000 in state funding for additional clean energy projects.

Village Manager Christopher Steers said the clean energy efforts are part of a strategic plan for the village covering 2017 to 2022.

“As we move forward, we will continually look for innovative, sustainable ways of operating our village,” he said in a statement announcing the designation.

The villages of Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Croton-on-Hudson; the towns of Bedford, New Castle, Ossining, Somers and Mamaroneck; and the cities of Peekskill, New Rochelle and White Plains have also been designated as Clean Energy Communities, according to a list from NYSERDA.