Referred to:  The Energy and Environment Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Eckert, Heppner, Wawro, and Woltman)

Legislator Kathy Nolan offers the following:

WHEREAS, Ulster County first pledged to become a Climate Smart Community in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County began purchasing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources in 2014; and

WHEREAS, in 2015, Ulster County established a sustainable green fleet policy addressing the vehicles of the fleet under the control of the County in order to improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County attained the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Silver Climate Smart Community designation in 2016, the highest yet achieved through this program; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, Ulster County was featured in National Geographic magazine for its environmental initiatives and achievements; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County’s Utility-Scale Solar Project became fully operational in 2018, generating approximately 20% of all the electricity used by the Ulster County Government; and

WHEREAS, on June 18, 2019, the County Executive signed an executive order to move the county toward the goal of having 100 percent of the county government's electrical needs produced by locally generated renewable energy sources by 2030; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature desires to reinforce Ulster County’s commitment to environmental leadership by codifying the County’s renewable energy use into law; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that 100% of Ulster County’s electricity utilized in 2019 and 2020 shall be purchased directly from local renewable energy sources, or as an interim solution only, by obtaining Green-e Energy certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs); and, be it further

RESOVLED, Ulster County shall continue to operate a net carbon neutral government and shall decrease greenhouse gas emission associated with its operations by 25% by the year 2025 and 80% by the year 2050 using the County’s 2012 greenhouse gas emission inventory as a baseline; and, be it further

RESOLVED, Ulster County shall supply 100% of its annual building and fleet electricity usage from locally generated renewable energy sources by the year 2030; and, be it further

RESOLVED, Ulster County shall endeavor to achieve the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Gold Climate Smart Community designation by the year 2025; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that Ulster County Government shall assist and support our towns and communities in increasing the use of green power and decreasing community wide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 % by the year 2050,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:    

Passed Committee: Energy and Environment on _____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE