By Martha Robertson
former Tompkins County Legislature Chairperson (six years) and Legislator (20 years)
1655 Ellis Hollow Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850; mrobertsonnext@gmail.com; 607-592-3119
 
As New York State debates how to reach our CLCPA goals, I write to urge – in the strongest possible terms – passage of three bills that are essential in our battle against the worse effects of climate change:
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• GAS TRANSITION AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY ACT (S.8198 Krueger, May/A.9329 Fahy)
• ADVANCED BUILDING, APPLIANCE AND EQUIPMENT STANDARDS ACT (S.7176 Parker/A.8143 Fahy)
• ALL-ELECTRIC BUILDING ACT (S.6843C Kavanagh/A.8431B Gallagher)

 
On May 12, I watched most of the Assembly’s public hearing on the All-Electric Building Act. It was beyond frustrating to hear so many speakers say “we need more time” before we can build all-electric buildings. I invite those folks to come to Tompkins County, where it is now NORMAL for new buildings – even the biggest ones – to be all-electric.
 
One such example is Breckenridge Place, built back in 2014. That was eight WINTERS ago. The building is six stories tall, with 50 units of affordable housing, built by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, completely on an air source heat pump system. This is normal construction.
 
About five years ago, Tompkins County created a Business Energy Advisors Program. It offers individualized engineering consulting for commercial developers, for new construction, expansions, and significant renovations. The program has helped 60 participants so far, including municipal governments (e.g., the Village of Dryden and Town of Ithaca), multi-family housing developers, non-profits, and private businesses. Many of these projects include electrified heating - air source, ground source, and hot water heat pumps. More often, now, county staff is helping developers decide which heat pump option to use for their project. It’s no longer “what’s a heat pump?” It’s “which one do I use?”
 
Six years ago the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) created an Enhanced Energy Incentive. We front-loaded the tax abatements we offered, challenging developers to create projects that were 40% more efficient than code at the time. IDA developers are now creating buildings that are 80% more efficient than code.
 
In just the last five years, the IDA has incentivized 13 projects that use heat pumps instead of gas. Some have been open for several years now – including winters – while some are under construction. Among these 13 all-electric projects, there are:

• 1,347 housing units
• Approximately 150,000 sq. ft. of commercial and office space
• A community medical center
• A grocery store
• A conference center – the first-ever all-electric conference center in the U.S.!
• Almost 2 million total square feet
• Total value: more than $615 million

 
We in Tompkins County are confident that these 13 developers would never gamble $615 million if electrification didn’t work.
 
All-electric buildings are normal. We’ve been enjoying their efficiency and their health benefits, as well as cooling and dehumidification, for years. And they can be built, now, everywhere across NYS. We need the All-Electric Building Act passed, along with the Building Standards Act and the Gas Transition Act, before the State Legislature leaves for the summer. There is absolutely no time to waste. Thank you for your time.

​Note: To power your home with renewable energy, see the most recent Subscription Community Solar chart and FAQ: and 100% Renewable Electricity chart.

By Gerri Wiley, HeatSmart volunteer and Energy Navigator

Is your electricity price per kilowatt-hour high right now? Look on the bottom of the last page of your electric bill to see your kWh rate. If you live in one of the following municipalities and a fixed rate of 5.71 cents per kWh through June 2023 sounds good to you, call Constellation at 833-866-9637 (24/7/365) and request their 100% renewable (hydroelectric) plan.

If you’re not fortunate to be a resident or small business in one of these municipalities, what can you do about high electricity rates that hover around 9 cents/kWh right now just for the supply, not delivery portion?  First and always – Seek ways to reduce your energy load, such as turning off whatever isn’t being used.

Please don’t be wooed by an ESCO with low variable rates.
A common practice is to hold the low price one to three months, then sharply increase it. The only ESCO offering a 100% renewable (wind/hydro) that does not engage in this unethical practice is Energy Coop of America. Yes, the price is more than you’d like to pay but it remains no more than 1.5 cents per kWh higher than the utility’s fossil-nuclear plan. View this month’s ESCO chart.

You can also view this month’s Subscription Solar chart. If you haven’t purchased solar panels, you can choose one of these companies and sign up to be on the waiting list.

Beyond ESCOs and Subscription Solar:
​A renewable electricity ESCO and/or subscription solar are 'market nudges', but frankly the market doesn’t need our nudges right now because demand exceeds supply. So the real need is decarbonizing our homes in order to accelerate our climate impact, reduce both indoor and outdoor pollution, and save money in the long-run.

To maximize our impact, the order of these four steps is important:

1. Get a free home energy audit to analyze any efficiency, safety, and health related issues.
2. Weatherize (insulation/sealing) your home to minimize your energy load in preparing to properly size your heating/cooling system.
3. Electrify your home heating/cooling with a ground-source heat pump system or air-source system, along with your water heating and clothes dryer (if needed). Consider an induction cooktop and electric vehicle (if needed).
4. Solarize your entire energy load onsite (or offsite if your home is not well-oriented to solar or if you have shade issues).

So again, the steps in order are: Analyze, Weatherize, Electrify, & Solarize.

I’m happy to help you learn more about each of these steps and hook you up with experienced auditors and installers or a Smart Energy Choices Advisor in your area. The best way to reach me is via email or call and leave a message to get back to you.