Renewable Energy
There are already several ways we can source our energy from more renewable sources in Dobbs Ferry, and more will be coming soon. Did you know that the Dobbs Ferry library gets 10% of its energy from solar power? Even if your roof is not solar compatible, you can sign up to source your energy from community solar projects, and we have a new renewable energy opportunity coming our way soon. See below to learn more!
Community Choice Aggregation and Westchester Power
From Mayor McLoughlin and the Board of Trustees, January, 2019:
Coming to Dobbs Ferry in 2019!
We are pleased to announce that the Village of Dobbs Ferry is joining our Westchester neighbors by enrolling in the County’s Community Choice Aggregation program, known as Westchester Power. This is a bulk purchasing program for energy organized by Sustainable Westchester. The program allows communities to collaborate on a competitive energy supply contract aimed at saving participants money, reducing the unpredictability of supply rates and offering a 100% renewable energy supply option. Energy delivery, billing, maintenance and repair will remain under the management of Con Edison. Beginning in April, however, the default energy supplier will be Westchester Power.
What this means for you:
Your bill and delivery charges will continue to come from Con Edison and you call the utility in case of any service interruptions (i.e. blackout, downed wires).
In February, you will receive a letter from Westchester Power notifying you of the supply change. If you have already opted to receive your energy supply from an ESCO other than Con Ed, you will not be receiving this letter. However, if you want to switch to Westchester Power as your ESCO, you will still be able to enroll by getting in touch with them by phone or email.
From the date you receive the letter, you will have 30 days to decide whether you want to accept the default Green supply option (100% renewable energy from NY State hydropower charged at 7.959 ¢/kwh), or choose the Standard supply option (sourced from traditional resources including coal, oil, gas, nuclear and other, priced at 7.709 ¢/kwh). Both supply rates fall below Con-Ed’s 12-month supply rate average of 8.26 ¢/kwh, but Westchester Power’s rates are fixed while Con Ed’s are variable. You may also choose to opt out of the program altogether and remain with Con Ed as your energy supplier. If you do nothing, you will automatically be enrolled in the Green supply program.
The program will begin on April 1. Again, Con Ed will continue to deliver and manage your service. The only change will be reflected on your bill which will still come from Con Ed. After Village residents are enrolled, it is easy and free of charge to opt out of the program any time. There are no penalties and it can be done within a matter of minutes by calling Westchester Power.
Why did we make this change:
From our perspective, saving money, reducing the unpredictability of energy rates and supporting a more sustainable energy supply added up to a worthy service we wanted to supply to our residents.
The program has been running in Westchester since 2016, and so far participants in the county’s 25 enrolled municipalities have saved over $15 million on their energy bills while many are making a greener choice. 21 of the 25 municipalities that joined the program in 2016 opted for the Green supply option.
The flexibility of the program means that for residents who don’t want to participate, it is easy to opt out, at any time and with no penalty. We also liked the fact that small businesses will be charged at the same rate as private residents.
For all of these reasons, we are pleased to offer residents this program.
For more information, check out this informational flyer about Westchester Power.
For more details you can also check out Westchester Power’s FAQ’s: http://www.westchesterpower.org/frequently-asked-questions/
This flyer explains how to read your Con Ed bill.
Finally, Westchester Power is available to answer your questions if you call them at 914-242-4725.
Community Solar
If your house is incompatible with solar energy but you still want to make a greener choice, community solar projects are in development. Check out more information here: https://sustainablewestchester.org/initiatives-toolkits/solar/westchester-community-solar/
Geothermal Heating and Cooling
The layer of shallow earth just 10 below our feet maintains a near constant temperature of 50 -60 F all year round. Geothermal systems take advantage of this to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Interested in learning more?
Check out:
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-and-cool/heat-pump-systems/geothermal-heat-pumps
https://www.nrel.gov/workingwithus/re-geo-heat-pumps.html
https://sustainablewestchester.org/initiatives-toolkits/heatsmart/