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Southern Ulster Times, Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Ryan announces new solar array project in Ulster
With environmental leaders from
throughout Ulster County in attendance,
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan signed
his first Executive Order on Tuesday.
Executive Order Number 1 of 2019
establishes ambitious new goals for
the County’s ongoing efforts to combat
climate change, including community-
wide greenhouse gas emissions targets
and the adoption of the Ulster County
Climate Action Plan. The order represents
a significant first step by County
Executive Ryan to follow through on a
key component of his campaign platform
and positions Ulster County to maintain
its advantage as a leader in the emerging
green economy.
“Climate change poses an existential
threat to the residents and communities
of Ulster County, and it is essential
that we join the fight, at all levels of
government, to mitigate its devastating
impacts,” said County Executive Pat
Ryan. “Our environment – from the
Hudson River to the Catskill Mountains,
from the Shawangunk Ridge to the
Wallkill and Rondout Valleys – is central
to our way of life in Ulster County, and
we have an obligation to protect it for
future generations. And in doing so,
I’m confident we will continue to lead
other counties throughout New York
and the nation towards a greener, more
sustainable and resilient future.”
The Executive Order includes an
agressive goal to supply 100% of the
electricity consumed by the County’s
buildings and fleet from locally-
generated, renewable sources. In addition
to establishing new goals that push Ulster
County’s environmental efforts to new
levels, the Executive Order sets the stage
for several concrete steps to accomplish
these goals.
At the signing, County Executive Ryan
announced a major new County solar
project that will double the amount of
renewable energy generated by Ulster
County, increasing renewable generation
from 20% of the County’s use to 40%. The
project is planned for a brownfield site in
the Town of Saugerties and planning and
pre-construction assessments are already
underway, with a request for proposals
for site development planned for release
this summer.
“We can and must do more to lead
the transition away from fossil fuels,”
continued Ryan. “This project is another
example of the best form of solar
development – we are taking an abandoned
tire dump that was foreclosed due to
back taxes and turning it into a positive
asset for our County, with no net cost to
2030, backed by real, decisive action to
transform a neglected piece of land into a
productive community asset.”
Key provisions included in Executive
Order Number 1 of 2019 are summarized
below:
Ulster County shall endeavor to supply
100% of its building and fleet electricity
annual usage from locally generated
renewable energy sources by the year
2030.
The Department of Environment, in
coordination with the Departments of
Purchasing, Planning and Public Works,
will begin implementation of the 2019
Climate Action Plan, which includes
dozens of action steps to further reduce
the County’s carbon emissions from
operations in order to meet the County’s
carbon emission reduction goals, drive
deployment of clean technology and
improve climate resilience.
A full copy of the order is available
online
at
ulstercountyny.gov/
environment.
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan signs renewable energy Executive Order.
County property taxpayers. In doing so,
we are proving to other municipalities
throughout New York State that these
projects are within reach. We can move
to a more sustainable future while also
being fiscally-responsible and enhancing
quality of life for our communities.”
“Ulster County has been recognized
by the NYS DEC and the US EPA for its
commitment to renewable electricity,”
said Amanda LaValle, Director of the
Ulster County Department of the
Environment. “This new Executive Order
represents a major step toward a greener
future for Ulster County by setting bold
goals for greenhouse gas emissions
reductions and renewable energy across
all County operations, including the
County’s 45 buildings and more than 450
vehicles, including three dozen buses.
Achieving these goals is absolutely
necessary in order for Ulster County to
continue to model for other communities
how local governments can respond to
the call for a Green New Deal to combat
climate change.”
“I am thrilled to see Ulster County
Executive Pat Ryan keep good on his
commitment for a Green New Deal for
Ulster County,” said Andy Bicking,
Director of Public Policy, Scenic
Hudson. “Today’s announcement sets
an aggressive agenda for the County
to achieve 100% renewable energy by