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

Long Island is at a critical juncture in determining its energy future. The Long Island Clean Electricity Vision began at a Long Island Energy Roundtable meeting, a gathering of environmental professionals, with a simple but bold question which challenges conventional thinking:

Could Long Island meet 100 percent of its electricity needs with energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies which are available today?

reLI’s mission is to empower communities on Long Island and beyond through renewable energy outreach and education. We do this by 1) serving as a resource to help communities join the global 100% renewable energy movement, and 2) providing consumer-friendly information on commercial and residential clean energy technologies such as solar, wind and energy efficiency. Our website features a clean energy contractor locator making it simple to connect customers and clean energy companies.

State-Mandated Study Finds Retiring Portion of Northport Power Station in 2022 Will Save LIPA Customers $300 Million

Report Expects Continued Decline in Northport Power Station Use From 55% of Plant Capacity in 2005 to 2.9% by 2035

UNIONDALE, NY - May 19, 2020 — The Long Island Power Authority today released a New York State mandated Repowering Feasibility Study of the Northport Power Station, alongside its annual Property Tax Report. The study shows that accelerating the retirement of 400 to 600 megawatts of vintage, fossil-fueled steam power plants in 2022 can save Long Island electric consumers over $300 million.

“These reports demonstrate that our efforts to reduce electric demand through one of the nation’s leading energy efficiency programs is both good for the environment and our customers’ electric bills,” LIPA Chief Executive Officer Tom Falcone said. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the stress it is placing on families throughout Long Island, it is more important than ever that we operate efficiently, reduce cost, and treat all our customers fairly.”

Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island, said: “Retiring vintage fossil-fueled power plants makes sense as we remodel our energy infrastructure to a 21^st-century system running on renewable energy with smarter, more energy-efficient technology. We commend LIPA for the vision to power Long Island 100 percent with clean and renewable power sources by 2040, which will dramatically reduce air and climate pollution while saving consumers money.”

Read the full news release here.