On Thursday, June 17th, 2021, Penfield Town Supervisor, Tony LaFountain, signed a letter (see PDF document attached) on behalf  of all town board members refreshing the board's earlier endorsement of this same bill in June 2019 (see below). 

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The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R.2307)  is proposed federal legislation that would put a price on carbon at the source and return all net proceeds to every American adult in equal shares with a half share for minors. The fee would start small and grow over several decades, bringing about the reduction of US greenhouse gas emissions (and equivalents) to Net Zero by 2050. It would spur innovation in clean energy solutions, create jobs, improve health, save lives, put money in people's pockets to spend as they see fit and it would not increase the size of government. It has the overwhelming support of scientists and economists as the first, best step Congress can take to combat climate change. 

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The members of Color Penfield Green are very grateful to the Penfield Town Board for their continued support and endorsement of this critically important national climate legislation. We are also seeking endorsements of this bill from many other local, state and national elected officials and hope for its passage in the 117th Session of Congress.

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At the May 20th, 2020 legislative meeting of the Penfield Town Board, all five members of the board voted unanimously to pass Local Law No. 2 of 2020 to be Known as “A Local Law to Authorize Establishment of a Community Choice Aggregation (Energy) Program in the Town of Penfield.”

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Here is the first paragraph of that law describing what a CCA program is: "WHEREAS, the purpose of said Local Law is to reduce costs and provide cost certainty for the purpose of economic development, to promote deeper penetration of energy efficiency and renewable energy resources such as wind and solar, and wider deployment of distributed energy resources as well as to examine the retail energy markets and increase participation of and benefits for Eligible Consumers in those markets. Among the policies and models that may offer benefits in New York is Community Choice Aggregation ("CCA"), which allows local governments to
determine the default supplier of electricity and natural gas on behalf of Eligible Consumers."

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This is great progress and a singular accomplishment for our town on the path to obtaining 100% clean, renewable and carbon free electricity for all our residents! You may read all of the language of this law in the PDF document attached here. The next step for the board is to put out a request for proposal to select the program administrator for our Penfield CCA program. 

Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The program offers free technical assistance, grants, and rebates for electric vehicles.

Registered communities have made a commitment to act by passing the CSC pledge. Certified communities are the foremost leaders in the state; they have gone beyond the CSC pledge by completing and documenting a suite of actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change at the local level.

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Locally, the Town of Irondequoit and the Village of Brockport have made the CSC pledge. The Town of Brighton and the City of Rochester have made the pledge and are Bronze level certified. 

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The Penfield Energy and Environment Advisory Committee plans to work with Clean Energy Communities to explore becoming a Climate Smart Community. 

The article highlights the many green initiatives Penfield has undertaken under the leadership of Town Supervisor, Tony LaFountain's since 2010.

• Completed three solar projects supplying clean electricity to town buildings

• Installed four free electric vehicle charging stations on community property

• Endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act

• Proposed that the Town Board adopt Community Choice Aggregation

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 “In my lifetime, climate change is not going to have much of an impact on me and my wife. But I have two daughters, and two granddaughters. My parents taught me to leave a place better than you found it. If you’re invited over for a cup of tea, you don’t leave crumbs on the table.”

In Tony LaFountain’s case, he also helps plan the menu for a more livable future.

-Rochester Business Journal, March 6, 2020

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The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is federal legislation that would put a price on carbon at the source and return all proceeds to every American adult in equal shares and a half share for anyone under 19. The fee would start small and grow over several decades, reducing emissions by 40% in the first 12 years and by 90% by the year 2050. It would improve health. It has bipartisan support in congress and has overwhelming support of scientists and economists as the first best step Congress can take to combat climate change. 

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Penfield Town Supervisor, Tony LaFountain, signed a letter on behalf  of all board members in June of 2019 endorsing this bill. 

The Town of Penfield installed a 1.2 MW solar photovoltaic array at its Department of Public Works complex at 1607 Jackson Road. The solar array consists of 3,648 solar modules (each 345 watts). The system is expected to generate 1.2 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy annually.  The energy produced by this array is expected to offset approximately 75% of the Town of Penfield’s overall electrical usage at its main facilities (town hall, community center, DPW).

 

This production is the equivalent of powering 120 households for one year.

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-News From the Town of Penfield, A. LaFountain, April 3, 2019