City Of Fulton Earns Clean Energy Communities’ Designation And Grant

FULTON – City of Fulton Mayor Jim Rice today announced that the City of Fulton has earned the first level of Clean Energy Communities (CEC) Program Advanced Designation through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), earning $15,000 in grant funding. This grant is a recognition of the City of Fulton’s ongoing efforts to reduce energy use, save tax dollars, support sustainability, and revitalize infrastructure. The funding will be used to implement an energy management system to improve energy efficiency on existing heating systems.

“The City of Fulton is committed to improving infrastructure, driving efficiency, and investing in our future. This critical grant funding will allow us to improve the heating system that serves City Hall, which also houses our police and fire departments. This grant is a recognition of the efforts of the City of Fulton and our ongoing commitment to both the environment and local taxpayers. We look forward to continuing to work with NYSERDA, The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board and Siemens to improve infrastructure and efficiency,” said Mayor Jim Rice.

The City of Fulton received this designation for completing clean energy actions identified by NYSERDA as part of the Clean Energy Communities initiative. To date, the City has completed the following actions:

1. Adopted a benchmarking policy to track and report the energy use of the City’s municipal buildings,
2. Completed two energy code enforcement training sessions on best practices in energy code enforcement for the municipal code enforcement officer,
3. Converted cobra head-style streetlights to energy efficient LED technology, and
4. Streamlined the local approval processes for solar projects through adoption of the New York State Unified Solar Permit.

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “The City of Fulton’s participation in NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program is a stellar example of how a local and State government can come together to improve energy efficiency and provide more clean energy choices for New Yorkers. These intentional actions taken by the City reflects their leadership in driving positive change that will help lower energy costs as they continue to leverage grant funding to build a healthier, more sustainable community.”

NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program provides resources and funding to help state and local governments invest in future-focused clean energy solutions for their community through grant funding and earn recognition.

Clean Energy Communities Coordinators are available at no charge to help communities develop and prioritize clean energy goals, access easy-to-use resources such as guidance documents and case studies and take advantage of available funding and technical assistance opportunities.

The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) also provided assistance to the City of Fulton as the Central New York Clean Energy Communities coordinator.

“The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board is proud to support our local communities and work with the City of Fulton,” said Amanda Mazzoni. “The City of Fulton is continuing to invest in its future and become a leader in sustainability by seeking out grant funding and working with community partners. We look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Rice and the City of Fulton, as well as all communities in the Central New York region.”

The CNY RPDB is available to provide similar assistance to other municipalities in Central New York that wish to pursue any of the high-impact actions. Please contact Amanda Mazzoni, Energy Program Manager, at 315-422-8276 x1215 for more information.

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