Dr. Jeffrey B. Flagg – Letter to the Editor: Kudos to Glens Falls for Taking Action

*GINY Editor Note:  This letter is of interest because it highlights two programs of the NY DEC and NYSERDA that provide substantial fiscal assistance to communities for adopting climate friendly practices.

Editor:

I would like to applaud The Post-Star for drawing attention to the important – and nonpartisan – role that community leaders can take with respect to clean energy and climate change mitigation.  I also applaud the town of Queensbury for its willingness to seek “ways to cut the town’s carbon emissions” through the establishment of a committee to pursue climate smart strategies, and through the pursuit of state initiatives, many of which reward communities that are proactive in their efforts to stem the ominous effects of climate change.

That said, however, I was disappointed that the editors did not make mention of the fact that the Glens Falls City Council has already taken several meaningful steps toward becoming a cleaner, greener community, including some of the very steps prescribed in Friday’s editorial.  For instance, the council has been pursuing Clean Energy Community status since November, and has already completed two steps in the certification process:  adoption of the Unified Solar Permit (for which the City received a $2,500 grant) and a resolution to “benchmark” energy use in all municipal buildings in order to identify energy waste in public facilities.  More recently, the city received a $26,000 grant to install six electric vehicle charging stations in the parking garage, and will begin the process of Energy Code Training later this week.  The Council is also considering adoption of Energize NY Finance, a state-supported program that allows property owners to fund repayment of energy efficiency projects and clean energy upgrades through a special charge on their property tax bill.  Completion of only two of these three steps in the near future will earn Glens Falls the same $100,000 award that the town of Queensbury is currently only thinking of pursuing .  Kudos to Queensbury, but let’s give a little credit where due please.

Jeffrey B. Flagg, Glens Falls

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