The Town of Philipstown Votes Yes on Community Solar and Unlocks Municipal Sustainability Funds

PHILIPSTOWN, N.Y., Oct. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 11^th, Philipstown's Town Council unanimously voted to pass a resolution enabling the municipality to endorse Hudson Valley Community Power's fully-vetted community solar program for residents. Offered in conjunction with the recently implemented Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program, community solar provides residents and local businesses further opportunity to save on electricity while supporting clean, community-based generation and decreasing New York State's carbon footprint.

By subscribing to a solar farm in Accord, NY, Philipstown residents can spend approximately 10% less on electricity each year for up to 25 years. The guaranteed savings are derived from New York State's clean energy generation incentives. 

The shift to locally sourced renewable energy also unlocks a municipal sustainability fund. Established by Hudson Valley Community Power and funded through the community solar program, the fund receives $50 for each solar enrollment completed before November 30^th. In line with their Climate Smart Communities initiative, Philipstown has decided to allocate the money to a Refrigerant Management Program that will reduce leakage of powerful greenhouse gases from air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, and cars by providing free or low-cost pick-up and proper disposal of old appliances and presenting community education on proper disposal of appliances and the availability of climate-friendly refrigerants. 

Philipstown Supervisor Richard Shea encouraged community action, "As a community, we're proud to be taking steps to combat climate change. Philipstown is fortunate to have a great partner in Joule Community Power, the organization that brought us CCA and community solar through Hudson Valley Community Power. As a complement to our recently-adopted CCA program, this fully-vetted solar program saves those who enroll an additional 10% on their utility bills. Please consider going to the website and opting in to save money, help the environment, and also raise funds towards Philipstown's Climate Smart Community Refrigerant Management Program."

The community will host an Energy Forum to discuss the program and answer questions:

Philipstown Community Energy Forum
October 29^th, 6-8pm
Dolly's: 7 Garrisons Landing, Garrison, NY 10524. 
For event details, please visit https://tinyurl.com/philipstowncommunitysolar.

Learn more: hudsonvalleycommunitypower.com/solar

About Hudson Valley Community Power
Hudson Valley Community Power is a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program comprised of six communities in New York'sHudson Valley and formed in partnership with Joule Community Power. The program enables participating communities to pool local electricity demand in order to leverage the collective buying power of their residents and small businesses in effort to secure more favorable energy supply rates and designate renewable generation sources. The participating communities include City of Beacon, Village of Cold Spring, Town of Fishkill, Town of Marbletown, Town of Philipstown, and City of Poughkeepsie. For more information, visit hudsonvalleycommunitypower.com.

About Joule Community Power
Joule Community Power (Joule) works with municipalities and local partners to empower communities and facilitate their goals of providing residents and businesses with cleaner and cheaper energy. Joule principals were responsible for implementing New York State's first Community Choice Aggregation Program (CCA)—a program that enables communities to aggregate local energy demand in order to: 1) save money—gain leverage to procure less expensive electricity for residents and businesses, 2) make money—create new revenue opportunities by participating in energy markets, and 3) go green—gain local control to opt for clean and renewable generation sources. Joule is the only company in New York State offering CCA administrative services with a Public Service Commission-approved implementation plan that integrates local renewable energy projects, and only Joule has the expertise, relationships, and experience to effectively design, implement, and manage such a program. Joule's innovative renewable energy strategy in New York is driving new regulation and encouraging the Public Service Commission to rapidly advance innovative solutions. Joule Community Power is a division of Joule Assets. Learn more at joulecommunitypower.com.

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SOURCE Joule Community Power