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Orange County to spend $543,613 in NYSERDA Clean Energy funds on electric equipment for parks, DPW and veterans services
Summary
The Rules Committee authorized acceptance and appropriation of $543,613 in NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities funding to buy nonroad electric construction vehicles and landscaping equipment, and approved county staff to execute necessary contracts. The committee also discussed storage and charging logistics; one legislator abstained.
The Orange County Legislature's Rules Committee authorized acceptance and appropriation of $543,613 in Clean Energy Communities grant funds awarded through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and authorized the county executive to sign any contracts required to receive the funds.
Alan Sorenson, Commissioner of Planning, explained the funding will support purchases of nonroad electric construction vehicles, electric ATVs and electric landscaping equipment to be used by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Public Works and Veterans Services. Sorenson said the county will use the award to add electric-powered equipment to county fleets and that departments other than planning will typically procure the actual items.
Sorenson said the county also secured an additional approximately $275,000 in related clean-energy program funding to coordinate EV purchases across county motor-vehicle fleets and to add EV charging infrastructure.
Committee members asked about storage and safety for electrified equipment, especially lithium-battery powered landscaping units. Sorenson said EVs will use existing charging stations at the government center and at some parks; storage locations for smaller battery-powered landscaping equipment will be coordinated with Parks and DPW. "If they're coming off lease, then they'll just come off the lease, and we'll replace it with these vehicles," Sorenson said, describing a phased replacement approach.
A motion to accept and appropriate the NYSERDA CEC grant passed by voice vote with one legislator announcing an abstention.
Sorenson credited planning staff and Hudson Valley Regional Council partners with preparing the county's clean-energy applications and noted purchases would replace some gas-combustion equipment and support climate and operations goals.
