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Congressman Steve Israel and County Execs Host Elected Officials Green Energy Summit
INFORMATION COMPILED AND ORGANIZED BY THE STAFF OF NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK
AND EDITED BY NETWORKING MAGAZINE

Congressman Steve Israel, new member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, together with Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, hosted a Long Island Elected Officials Green Energy Summit at I.B.E.W. Local 25 Labor Hall in Hauppauge.

Tim Knight, publisher of Newsday, was the moderator and introduced a panel of energy experts, government officials and environmental leaders including Kevin Law, CEO of LIPA and Neal Lewis, executive director of Neighborhood Networks.

Congressman Steve Israel, who fought to increase the recently approved federal energy efficiency and renewable energy budget to $1.7 billion, inserted language into the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill directing the Department of Energy to create a Federal Advisory Committee for Finance and Investment to advise the Office of Efficiency and Renewable Energy for Finance, Investment and Technology Deployment.

The Congressman has developed a “Next Generation Energy Security Initiative,” a landmark plan that will limit greenhouse emissions, decrease our dependence on oil, and create American jobs in the renewable energy industry. It invests billions into research and development for renewable energies like geothermal, ocean, solar, wind and biomass technologies. It improves vehicle fuel efficiency and invests in alternative fuel sources. And, more importantly, it insures that the U.S. will become a world leader in the renewable energy industry.

Congressman Israel’s plan is based on three pillars:
“First, energy is a national security issue. Every military challenge we face is either derived from or impacted by one thing: our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign energy sources. With an $8 trillion debt we are borrowing money from China to fund our defense budgets to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to fuel our military to protect us from China and the Persian Gulf! That is not simply an absurdity, it is a vulnerability.

“Second, history proves that we can meet this challenge. Whenever our nation has faced critical threats, we mobilized, manufactured, engineered, researched, developed and invested in the human and technical resources necessary to meet and master those challenges.

“Third, an energy transformation must be based on supply and demand. Our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign sources of energy are as grave and great as all of the dangers and challenges we mastered before. It is time to do what America has always done: make the choices and investments necessary to protect our children.”

It is the Congressman’s vision that, “through forging relationships between the federal government, local governments and the private sector, we will be able to transform Long Island into the nation’s top Green Energy Corridor.”

Congressman Israel has formed a local Energy Security Congressional Task Force comprised of over 700 people. He aims to reduce our country’s reliance on foreign oil - not just as an economic and enviromental priority, but also due to national security urgency, and not just in Washington, but on Long Island.

The task force’s activities will include:
1. Meetings on national energy issues and legislative initiatives as they arise.
2. Town meetings on energy issues.
3. Federal grants, workshops, industry roundtables and Congressional forums.
More details from his plan are available on www.house.gov/israel.

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy each spoke about their iniatives and achievements to reduce their energy usage now and for the immediate future in their respective counties

Nassau County Executive Initiatives

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi:
Whether it is the $150 million Environmental Program to preserve open space, improve parks, protect water quality and cleanup brownfields, or the County's comprehensive Clean Air and Energy Action Plan, or Storm Water Management Program. The County is improving water quality, protecting the last remaining open spaces, and addressing the triple threat of air pollution, climate change and dependence on foreign oil.

Highlights of the County’s environmental turnaround include the following:AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTAlternative Fuel Vehicles
Established one of the largest Alternative Fuel Vehicle Programs in New York State which is currently comprised of 80 compressed natural gas, electric, hybrid, ethanol flex fuel and electric light duty vehicles, and the country's largest 100% compressed natural gas bus fleet outside of California. Plans are to replace the County's entire light duty fleet with alternative fuel and fuel efficient vehicles.

New York Metropolitan Air Quality Initiative
Entered into the New York Metropolitan Air Quality Initiative with Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, New York City, New York State Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to significantly reduce vehicle emissions, in particular diesel emissions, to improve air quality

Bio-diesel Fuel Program
Established one of the largest Bio-Diesel Fuel Programs in New York State which supplies 175,000 gallons of B20 bio-diesel to fuel all of the County's non-emergency heavy duty vehicles to improve air quality and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Plan to increase the use of bio-diesel to 230,000 gallons in 2008.

Diesel Replacement and Retrofit
Established a Diesel Replacement and Retrofit Program, including passage of a County law, to ensure that all County vehicles will meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for reduction of diesel emissions in heavy duty vehicles purchased after 2006. This program will involve replacement of the County's 230 non-emergency heavy duty diesel vehicles with new vehicles that meet the 2007 EPA standard for particulate matter or retrofit of the vehicles with the best available technology for reducing emissions.

Diesel Idling Restriction
Passed a County law restricting idling of diesel vehicles to a limit of three minutes.Green Fuels Filling Stations
Established a Green Fuels Filling Station Program to supply compressed natural gas, ethanol and ultra-low sulfur bio-diesel to the County's vehicle fleet. This includes establishment of the first E85 ethanol fueling station on Long Island.

Commuter Choice Program
Established a Commuter Choice Program for County employees which provides for a tax benefit program (Travel Chek) to encourage the use of mass transit, and ride sharing programs (NuRide and Guaranteed Ride) to encourage the use of multi-occupant vehicles.o Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration
Signed the U.S. Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration together with a number of other counties to commit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. Nassau County, together with King County, WA and Fairfax, VA, initiated this declaration. Currently Nassau County has reduced its carbon emissions by 5% and will reduce emissions by 15% by 2010.

Green Cleaning
Established a Green Cleaning Program to use less toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products in all County buildings

LAND PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Environmental Bond Act
Established a $150 million Environmental Bond Act Program for the preservation of 400 acres of open space, improvement of 57 parks, construction of 42 storm water treatment controls and remediation of seven brownfield properties.

Open Space Fund
Established the Nassau County Open Space Fund for the purchase, restoration and maintenance of open space using 5% of the proceeds from the sale of County land. Contributed $5 million to purchase the 50-acre Underhill Property to preserve open space and protect land which is located in a Special Groundwater Protection Area. This was a unique program that required the cooperation of Nassau County, New York State, Town of Oyster Bay and the Underhill Society to purchase and manage the property in common.

Brownfield Redevelopment
Established the County's Brownfield Redevelopment Program to clean up and redevelop contaminated properties, which includes a $1.2 million Revolving Loan Fund to foster the remediation of brownfield properties.

Office Recycling
Established one of the most comprehensive office recycling programs in New York State that includes the recycling of paper, cardboard, beverage containers, ink and toner cartridges, and electronic equipment.

Center for Clean Air Policy
Partnered with the Center for Clean Air Policy through the Urban Leaders Initiative to bring together counties and cities throughout the country with the goal of addressing and planning for the impacts of climate change.

Invasive Plant Ban
Passed a County law to ban the collection, transport, sale, propagation and disposal of invasive plants

WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

United States Geological Survey Cooperative Agreement
Entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the United States Geological Survey to improve protection of the County's groundwater, water supply and surface water resources.

Storm Water Management
Established Nassau County's Storm Water Management Program, which involves 57 of County's 69 municipalities and is the most comprehensive and successful storm water programs in New York State. Because of this program, Nassau County was awarded the largest grant in New York State to implement the program.

Adopt a Waterway
Established the Adopt a Waterway Program to obtain support from private sources to protect local bodies of water from the impact of storm water runoff and to improve water quality.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Energy Action Plan
Developed one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching municipal Energy Action Plans in the country to conserve energy, improve air quality, reduce dependence on foreign oil and save taxpayer dollars. Programs being implemented under this plan are reducing energy use in county facilities, expanding the use of alternative fuel vehicles, using green power generated by clean, renewable energy sources, and improving the County's transportation and transit system.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Performed energy efficiency upgrades to seven major Nassau County buildings in partnership with the New York Power Authority under the Energy Services Program. These upgrades will save 12,000 megawatts in annual energy use and save County taxpayers $1.4 million in energy costs. Energy audits are being conducted at additional County facilities.

Renewable Energy
Instituted a program to purchase 25% of the County's electricity (25 million kilowatt hours annually) from renewable, clean energy sources. Currently purchasing 10% of the County's energy demand from wind power, increasing to 25% by 2010.Generating 30,000,000 kWh annually using digester gas produced as a by-product of the County's wastewater treatment plants.

Re-Refined Motor and Hydraulic Oil
Established a program to use re-refined motor and hydraulic oil in all County vehicles as part of Nassau County's recycling program to protect the environment and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

Green Buildings
Passed a County law requiring that new construction and major renovation of County buildings achieve a silver rating through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program.Partnered with the Long Island Housing Partnership to build 12 units of energy efficient and green next-generation housing on five properties formerly owned by Nassau County. An eight unit complex will be LEED certified and four additional single family homes will be LEED certifiable. Working with the Lighthouse Development Group, incorporating green building and smart growth building principals into development of the Nassau Hub, which is the keystone of the “New Surburbia” land use plan for central Nassau County. This includes participation in a pilot plan of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development to certify the project as a sustainable development.

Green Levittown
Recently launched Green Levittown, a public-private partnership offering giveaways, discounts, utility rebates, and low interest loans to make energy efficient goods and services affordable to Levittown residents to help make Levittown America’s first Green Suburb.

SUFFOLK COUNTY EXECUTIVE INITIATIVES

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy:
Suffolk County is performing energy audits and analyzing data for energy conservation and efficiencies. The County hired an Energy Engineer to provide guidance and recommendations on construction and retrofit projects.

The County is conducting audits in coordination with NYPA and taking advantage of LIPA’s rebate programs and construction incentives for retrofit programs.

Noting that Suffolk, in working with local towns and environmental organizations, has saved land more than six times the size of Central Park in just the last four years, Levy called upon the state and federal governments to provide dollar-for-dollar matching for open space preservation to augment the county’s aggressive programs.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Energy conservation and efficiency building retrofits have saved Suffolk County over $1 million in annual energy savings.

Energy Action Plan
The County is undertaking energy efficiency projects including the Suffolk County Police Department Headquarters, Citi Park, Medical examiners, Farmingville Health Center, and Sewage Treatment Plants.

Energy Efficient Lighting
Suffolk County is adopting a policy phasing out incandescent light bulbs, first in county buildings and then countywide by 2012, and establishing a task force to set light bulb efficiency standards, educate the public and coordinate proper disposal with towns.

Pilot Biodiesel Fuel Program
Suffolk County began a pilot biodiesel fuel program at Bergen Point for heavy duty trucks and is now using B20 in all heavy duty diesel vehicles. They are greening their fleet by using 4 hybrid buses to replace dirty diesel buses, and 59 clean diesel technology buses, reducing emissions by 85%,. They plan a complete bus fleet conversion by 2009.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles
More Alternative Fuel Vehicles used by the County include: Pilot bio-diesel fuel program for County Fleet, Hybrid Vehicles for Municipal Fleet, Use of Bio-Diesel For Dredging Projects and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel used in county vehicles. It has two GEM (Global Electric Motors) from LIPA for use at county parks facilities.

Fuel Efficient Standards
Legislation has been adopted to increase fuel efficient standards of county fleet vehicles.

Green Power
Fifteen percent of total energy used by the county is now from Green Power. The County uses green building practices (U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® standards) for all new County construction and mandated purchases of Energy Star office equipment. Suffolk County meets regularly with LIPA, NYPA and Keyspan/National Grid. Grease to Fuel Conversion Leader
Suffolk County is converting Excess grease to fuel. The first two companies in the region to do this are in Suffolk.

Solar Equipment Tax Exemption
Suffolk County is the first County to exempt sales tax on solar equipment purchases.Other Environmental Initiatives Include:

• Development of an E-Waste recycling program to help prevent old computers, video games, cell phones and other electronic devices from winding up in landfills or incinerators.
• A pilot recycling program developed with the Town of Babylon, for apartments, businesses, institutions and schools.
•Efforts to promote the location of alternative fuel stations.
•A “Brownfields to Solar Fields”program which seeks to install solar panels on county-owned Brownfields sites, or other county-owned
properties.

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