Archive: Around Town

The focus is on Lansing as HeatSmart continues to hold events to talk about heat pump technology and special incentives available in Lansing because of the NYSEG moratorium on new natural gas capacity.  HeatSmart Lansing Coordinator Lisa Marshall and HeatSmart Tompkins Program Director Jonathan Comstock were in the Village of Lansing Monday to tell the Village Trustees about the program and enlist their help in getting the word out to their constituents.

"There are two areas in New York where there are declared gas moratoriums, and there may be other areas, soon," Marshall said. "To address the gas moratorium New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) put together a clean energy action plan to provide relief to businesses and residents affected by the NYSEG gas moratorium.  Part of that action plan is extra money for HeatSmart."

The local Heatsmart program has been so successful that NYSERDA uses it as a model for local organization as a model for the rest of the state, where 15 HeatSmart communities have emulated the Tompkins County model.  The drive is to let residents and businesses know about incentives that are available this year for installing heat pump technology, and recommend installers that HeatSmart has vetted and can recommend as reliable and knowledgeable.

The gas moratorium has made the effected portions of Lansing (the Village of Lansing, and the Town of Lansing as far north as the Lansing school campus) a special focus of HeatSmart this year.  Representatives met with the Town Board earlier in the year, and held a launch party at Myers Park in August.  On September 11th HeatSmart hosted a forum for businesses to outline options available to them.

Monday's presentation to the Village Trustees precedes an open presentation at the Village of Lansing Community Hall from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on September 26th.

Marshall said the organization is waiting to hear whether it will receive grant funding that could extend the program another two years.

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