| A message from |
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Assemblywoman Sandy Galef |
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ENERGY FAIR SATURDAY, MARCH 20 |
e-mail: galefs@assembly.state.ny.us
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e-mail: galefs@assembly.state.ny.us |
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| March 2004 | |||
Dear Neighbor: This newsletter is devoted to two of my ongoing priorities - energy and conservation. Last summer’s blackout reminds us to start saving energy, developing clean sources of power, and adding new transmission capacity. On a tour of local elected officials that I organized, we visited the White Plains headquarters of the New York Power Authority to learn how they use renewable energy and conserve through methods like tinted window film and motion sensors to turn off lights in vacant rooms. My visit to the Fenner Windmill Farm south of Syracuse demonstrated how 1.5 megawatts of power is produced from each of 20 windmills that are 30 stories high and cost $1.5 million each to build. While experts say that we do not have enough wind power in the Hudson Valley for such a farm, we can buy wind power through companies that sell energy. Over the next decade demand for electricity will grow by 20% while investments in transmission will increase by only 6%, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In New York State, the summer peak load will grow from a use of 31,590 megawatts in summer 2003 to 35,110 megawatts in summer 2012, says the New York Independent System Operator. We can gain 2,000 megawatts more power in the Hudson Valley with the building of a proposed transmission line, the “Empire Connection,” that will follow the New York State Thruway right-of-way. I support this line being developed by Conjunction LLC as an important way to increase the reliability of our energy grid and meet future power demands. Learning about new energy sources and ways to conserve will be the focus of my Energy Fair on Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Philipstown Town Hall in Cold Spring. I invite everyone to stop by to learn about easy, cost-effective ways to save on energy and your energy bills and how to buy clean alternative power.
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State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef’s
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Croton Sustainable Energy Cooperative. Residents from Croton-on-Hudson have banded together to find ways to reduce energy use and transition to clean energy technologies. This group will present actual ways people can reduce energy bills and reduce reliance on coal, oil, nuclear, and gas with investments as small as $5. Creative Energy Technology. This company will discuss how consumers can reduce their energy consumption by up to 40% with lighting and new technology, and what changes can be made in each room of the home to get significant savings. Accu-Tint. This firm will discuss how to control energy costs by insulating your windows. Insulating films can reflect up to 70% of the sun’s energy outside, reduce summer cooling bills up to 15%, and cut down on winter heating bills. Community Energy. This company will discuss “New Wind Energy” that converts to electricity for a clean source of renewable energy to power your home with no air pollution from burning fossil fuels. Hudson Valley Clean Energy. This firm will discuss how solar power can help reduce your monthly electric bill and what state incentive programs are available for installing highly-reliable, maintenance free solar systems in your home. Central Hudson Gas & Electric. This utility has in place environmental programs to preserve and protect wetlands, such as special equipment that won’t disturb the ground when rebuilding lines. They will tell you about the status of customer choice in the Hudson Valley and talk about what to do when the power goes out. Public Service Commission. The PSC has opened the State’s electric industry to competition to allow customers to choose their supplier of electricity. They will also talk about green power and how to take advantage of it through your choice of a utility or energy service company.
New York State Energy Research And Development Authority. NYSERDA has programs in place to provide clean energy for schools, homes, and workplaces. They have cash incentives for installing small solar systems bought through an eligible company. Wind, sun, and other clean power sources will be discussed. |
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The monthly cable television show airs:
Wednesdays, 6:30pm – Ch 15 and GO-TV
Mondays, 6:30pm – Ch 21
Mondays, 6:30pm – Ch 22
To Be Announced – RCN’s Ch 8 |
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| **Please Click Here for a Printable Questionaire** |
| Questionnaire |
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Please give me your input on some of the measures being considered in Albany for new legislation. There is space for two to answer. |
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1. Should we expand the bottle bill to include non-carbonated juice and water beverages left out of the original law that requires nickel deposits on beverage containers? Supporters say it would raise $175 million in revenues to offset the state’s budget shortfall and further clean up the environment. What do you think? |
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2. Should we raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 19? Supporters say it would help cut back on teen-aged smoking and remove smoking from the high schools. What do you think? |
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3. Should we change the vehicle licensing process for seniors, as we recently did for teen-aged drivers who now have graduated licenses? Supporters point to The Insurance Institute reports that older drivers are as safe as others until 75 and those 85 and older are as likely to be in fatal crashes as those 16 to 19. What do you think? |
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Please send your completed and signed questionaire to: Assemblywoman Sandy Galef
2 Church Street Ossining, NY 10562-4802 |
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