Clean Energy & Sustainability
HVRC offers support to local governments as they pursue cost-saving and energy and GHG emission-reducing actions through NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities Program (CEC). Our CEC Coordinators are available to provide technical assistance related to the High Impact Actions that communities benefit from under the CEC Program, one of which is NYS Climate Smart Communities Program. Technical assistance is available at no cost to local governments.
Clean Energy Communities
HVRC offers support to local governments as they pursue cost-saving and energy and GHG emission-reducing actions through NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities Program (CEC). Our CEC Coordinators are available to provide technical assistance related to the High Impact Actions that communities benefit from under the CEC Program, one of which is NYS Climate Smart Communities Program. Technical assistance is available at no cost to local governments.
Clean Energy Communities Institute (CECI)
In 2021 and 2022, the Hudson Valley Regional Council created the Clean Energy Communities Institute (CECI). Our goal for this Institute was to walk communities through the CEC High-Impact Actions and how to accomplish them. Focus was on a single High Impact Action each month, providing action-oriented webinars, testimonials, in-person cohort-style workshops, and useful content.
Leadership Round Resources
CEC Leadership Round Guidance Document
CEC HIA Toolkits
Leadership Round Grants Overview
Disadvantaged Communities Lookup Map
CEC HIA Submission Portal
Videos of NYS local governments implementing the CEC program
Climate Smart Communities
HVRC provides no-cost technical support to communities interested in NYS Climate Smart Communities Program. This program is aimed at GHG reductions and savings increases through specific Certification Actions. Communities that complete enough Actions can then become Certified as a CSC and qualify for funding made available through various DEC grant programs. Some CSC Actions overlap with High Impact Actions under NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities Program (CEC), making the points aggregating process that much easier.
CSC Coordinator Program
The CSC Coordinator Program provides additional technical support to communities that are completing the following priority actions: Government Operations greenhouse gas (GHG) Inventory, Government Operations Climate Action Plan, Community GHG Inventory and Community Action Plan. HVRC is running this program in a cohort model where communities will have the chance to work together and share experiences, challenges, and tips as they go through process. The first stage of this program will be completing the Government Operations GHG Inventory, in which 14 communities are participating in our Fall Cohort. For more information and how you can participate in future cohorts email Melanie Patapis.
CSC Resources
Climate Action Planning Institute
The Climate Action Planning Institute (CAPI) is a facilitated, collaborative working group through which a select group of local governments develop individual government operations greenhouse gas emissions inventories and government operations climate action plans.
HVRC, in partnership with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, is leading the Dutchess and Westchester CAPI cohorts. Eight municipalities from each County are working together with the Counties to take a collaborative approach to climate mitigation and helping to bring NY State funding to the region for important projects. See our CAPI FAQ for more information on CAPI, or email Mary Lambert.
CAPI is funded by the Climate Smart Communities Grant Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Projection Fund through the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The Team
![Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability Friday, October 8, 2001, in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. [Photo by Karl Rabe]](https://hudsonvalleyregionalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Patapis-Headshot-150x150.jpg "Bard College")
NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities Leadership Round Launch Webinar Slides | Q&A Responses | Webinar Recording | Transcript