Small Businesses & Not-For-Profits Eligible for Energy Efficiency Assistance
New Rochelle’s recently-approved GreeNR Sustainability Plan aims to reduce community-wide energy use by at least 20% by 2030. To meet this goal, we need to work in partnership with forward-looking residents and business owners. After all, the private sector accounts for more than 95% of New Rochelle’s energy use, with the commercial sector making up nearly a quarter.
Con Edison’s Small Business Energy Efficiency Program provides a critical source of assistance to businesses and not-for-profits looking to use less energy and cut costs. The program is proactive and mutually beneficial: energy experts from the company will conduct a free survey of a small business’s energy use, provide a set of recommended upgrades to reduce consumption, and — here’s a key point — pay for up to 70% of the recommended upgrades.
One of the early local participants in this program is the New Rochelle YMCA. Yesterday, I joined officials from the Y and Con Ed to announce the very positive results from this partnership: 30% savings on the YMCA’s electric bill, with a payback on the Y’s share of the capital investment measured in just a few short months, and more savings in the years ahead.
Of course, energy efficiency benefits us all — less reliance on fossil fuels, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, greater energy independence, more reliability in our electrical grid, and dollars saved, instead of wasted.
I applaud the New Rochelle YMCA for taking advantage of this great opportunity, and I hope that the Y’s successful example will encourage many others to do the same.