Clean energy use to be increased
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Saratoga Springs Housing Authority is partnering with community solar provider Common Energy to increase the use of clean energy and fund energy efficiency investments in the Spa City.
Through this innovative partnership, SSHA will benefit from clean energy projects in upstate New York. Energy from the projects helps lower carbon emissions by displacing traditionally generated electricity on the grid.
In addition, SSHA will receive funds from the projects that it will invest in energy efficiency. The energy efficiency investments will reduce the amount of electricity SSHA uses and lower total energy costs.
SSHA is a federally-funded local government agency, provides safe, decent, and affordable housing to low- and moderate-income individuals and families.
The new partnership with Common Energy is expected to prevent more than 4 million pounds of carbon emissions over the next 20 years and fund valuable energy efficiency investments at SSHA facilities. By partnering with Common Energy, SSHA is expected to receive more than $100,000 for energy efficiency investments.
In addition to supporting SSHA’s core mission, the partnership will help support local and statewide clean energy goals.
“Affordable clean energy and energy efficiency are important priorities in our planning and budgeting process,” SSHA executive director Paul Feldman said in apress release. “Common Energy presented a solution that helps us achieve our long-term goals in this regard. We saw the strategic potential, and our due diligence on the approach confirmed that it would deliver benefits for the organization and our residents.”
Common Energy works with businesses and households to connect their existing utility account to local, clean energy projects. Energy from these projects replaces fossil fuel-based generation, lowering emissions and pollution. Each month, participants receive clean energy credits from the project.
Common Energy founder and
CEO Richard Keiser added, “Common Energy is proud to work with SSHA to help lower its total energy costs and enable more clean energy to connect to the grid. We are able to work with housing authorities within the parameters of federal funding and we hope to provide more housing authorities with the benefits of low-cost, community solar.”
This partnership is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through its NY-Sun Affordable Solar Predevelopment and Technical Assistance program, which provides funding to address resource gaps and solve market barriers preventing the development of solar installations serving low-to-moderate income households. NY-Sun is Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $1 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to have a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry.
“More and more communities across New York are finding innovative ways to embrace clean energy and energy efficiency solutions that will reduce their carbon footprint and lower energy costs,” NYSERDA president and CEO Alicia Barton said in the release. “NYSERDA is proud to support partnerships like this one between the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority and Common Energy through our Affordable Solar Predevelopment and Technical Assistance program that is helping make their community more sustainable and resilient by bringing the benefits of solar energy to even more residents.”