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Fairport board continues review of updated sustainability plan, asks staff and Fairport Electric to verify technical details
Summary
At a June 1 work session the Village Board of Fairport continued chapter-by-chapter review of an updated sustainability plan, focusing on energy allocation, load management and outreach. Trustees asked staff and Fairport Electric to confirm figures and return with actionable items.
The Village Board of Fairport spent the bulk of its June 1 work session reviewing an updated sustainability plan, with particular attention to the energy chapter, load‑management strategies and outreach to residents and nearby jurisdictions.
The discussion centered on who can act on items in the draft and what needs further technical verification. Presenter introducing the item said, "None of the interventions that are recommended by this updated plan are intended to be profitable to the village," framing the plan as service‑oriented rather than revenue‑driven. Trustees agreed the document should distinguish aspirational goals from village‑actionable steps.
Board members and staff discussed the village's hydroelectric allocation through the New York Power Authority and how that interacts with Fairport Electric's operations. Presenter read a passage noting Fairport Electric "receives an allocation of up to 77.6 megawatts," and Brian, a Fairport Electric staff member, said, "It's it's fairly accurate," while adding the number can vary and he would confirm the precise phrasing and whether the allocation is properly described as a daily or monthly figure. Trustees asked Brian to follow up with a verified figure and an explanatory note for the plan.
Trustees pressed on grid issues that affect local implementation. Brian outlined transmission and demand‑spike dynamics, saying the village's infrastructure generally can meet current needs but that statewide transmission projects and simultaneous high demand (for example, mass EV charging or bus electrification) can create costly supplemental purchases. The board discussed tools for flattening load, such as smart meters, time‑of‑use incentives and education about off‑peak charging.
On building efficiency, members considered daylight‑harvesting systems and occupancy sensors for village‑owned facilities; staff noted some automatic controls are already in place but that retrofit feasibility varies by building and budget. Trustees also emphasized low‑cost, high‑impact measures for residents, with insulation repeatedly cited as the most effective single investment for reducing home energy consumption.
Board members endorsed outreach options to promote existing rebate programs — signage at bill‑pay kiosks, bill inserts and cooperation with the town and school district — and noted that Fairport's IEP millage was recently increased, expanding energy‑efficiency funding from roughly $450,000 annually to about $900,000–$1,000,000, a resource staff said is already in high demand.
The meeting concluded with a set of next steps: staff will review the appendix action tables to mark items complete, in progress or obsolete; Fairport Electric will confirm allocation numbers and terminology; and trustees will pre‑read chapters 4–7 before the next work session so the board can draft prioritized, actionable items.
