Solar power is big news in the Town of East Hampton! The sign-up deadline of the town’s Solarize campaign, which makes going solar easier and more affordable for residents and businesses, ends on October 31, 2018.

And East Hampton’s first megawatt-scale solar power plant will soon generate clean power.

Construction is almost complete on the South Fork’s first utility scale solar farm at a former brush dump on Accabonac Road in Springs.  The solar farm is expected to be online in December 2018 with 1.1 MW (DC) of capacity, feeding electricity directly into the existing electric grid.  Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and Board members held a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 22^nd to celebrate the completion of the first rows of panels.  This solar farm is an important step towards the Town’s goal of meeting 100% of annual, community wide electricity need with renewable sources.

This community wide goal is a community wide effort.  In May 2018 the Town launched a renewable energy initiative called Energize East Hampton, which connects residents and local businesses to programs that help them reduce their energy consumption, and as a result, lower their energy bills.  Energize East Hampton includes a Solarize campaign.  The goal of this campaign, supported by the State’s NY-Sun initiative, is to increase the number of grid connected rooftop solar PV systems in East Hampton.  Residents and businesses can install rooftop solar PV systems at a discounted price offered exclusively through the campaign.  Earlier this year the Town sent out an RFP and through a competitive selection process, chose local company GreenLogic Energy as the designated solar installer for Solarize East Hampton.  GreenLogic helps residents and business owners through every step of the process, beginning with a free consultation, site assessment and estimate. 

Residents and business owners that are interested in solar installation are urged to sign up through the Campaign by the October 31^st program deadline to receive their free solar evaluation and discounted pricing at EnergizeEH.org/solar

New York State Announces First Ever Offshore Wind Energy Awards 

Nation-leading Program Sends Powerful Message To Launch Offshore Wind Industry

New York, July 18, 2019 — Governor Cuomo announced today that Equinor US Holdings and a joint venture between Orsted A/S and Eversource Energy are the successful bidders in the State’s first ever offshore wind solicitation conducted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Following a competitive process, NYSERDA selected two projects that when constructed will provide 1700 megawatts-hours of clean, renewable electricity into New York’s grid, enough to power 1 million households. The 1700 MW award is the largest in the nation to-date and the first major installment toward the Governor’s nation-leading commitment to develop 9,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2035. It is an important step towards the greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy targets contained in the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. 

Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island said, “New York is leading the nation in the rapid transition from a fossil-fueled economy to 100 percent clean, renewable energy. We are witnessing a tipping point in energy history and today’s commitment to large-scale investments in offshore wind power prove that New York walks the walk of powering our economy with renewable energy.”

Read the full news release here.    More info from NYSERDA on the selections is here.