Clean Energy Community Designation

Cayuga County has a long history of clean energy leadership with the adoption of a Comprehensive Sustainability Energy and Development Plan; the installation of geothermal systems at Memorial City Hall, Auburn Police and Fire Station; and the establishment of the Cayuga County Public Utility Services Agency. In May 2017, The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that Cayuga County had been designated a Clean Energy Community, recognizing its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy in its communities.

To earn the Clean Energy Community designation, Cayuga County completed the following high-impact clean energy actions:

• Developed a community-based Solarize campaign to reduce solar project costs through joint purchasing, resulting in 33 residential installations totaling over 8 megawatts of clean energy
• Deployed alternative fuel vehicles in the County’s vehicle fleet
• Established an Energize NY Finance Program that enables long-term, affordable Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to assist owners of commercial property investing in clean energy upgrades to their buildings
• Adopted benchmarking policies, in collaboration with students from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, to track and report energy use at municipal buildings

This designation is supported by the Central NY Rising initiative, which is the overall regional plan designed to attract a talented workforce, grow business and drive innovation.