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KINDERHOOK ENERGIZED BY BEDFORD LEGISLATION
Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News
08-18-09 – 11:00 a.m. - The Town of Kinderhook’s plans to create its own energy district did not clear the state legislature this year, but that hasn’t stopped town officials from moving ahead with their efforts.
The Kinderhook Power Authority Task Force will meet again on Thursday, August 27, at 7 p.m. in Volunteers' Park. According to Kinderhook Supervisor Doug McGivney, one of the topics for discussion at the meeting will be the legislation passed by the State Assembly and Senate this year enabling the Town of Bedford in Westchester County to create a sustainable energy loan program for its residents.
“It’s a very interesting piece of legislation,” McGivney said. “It allows the town to issue loans to residents to purchase renewable energy technology and provides for a way of collecting on the [loans].” |
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McGivney called the legislation a “great idea” because it encourages residents to use renewable energy. The funding for the loan program would come through federal grants, and the town would collect on the loans through property taxes. “It’s something we are definitely going to look into,” McGivney said.
The Town of Kinderhook launched the Power Authority Task Force in April with the goal of allowing residents and others to create their own electricity and share it with their neighbors. To do so requires the passage of “home rule” legislation in the state legislature to create a power authority district.
The first attempt at getting that legislation passed was handled by Assemblyman Tim Gordon (R-Bethlehem), who introduced Bill A07684 this spring in the State Assembly. The legislation was referred to the Energy Committee, and no action was taken. No similar legislation was introduced in the State Senate. McGivney said the state legislature’s lack of action has not set back the progress of the task force.
“We had planned on doing this whole thing incrementally. Applying for a [federal] grant to purchase solar cells will be our first step,” he said.
McGivney said the town’s own creation of solar power would allow electricity to be sold to the neighbors at “probably a quarter of what they are paying now.”
That first step would allow the Town to create solar energy and share it with neighbors on the same side of the road. That, said McGivney, would likely be the adjoining Department of Disability Services Office facility. Extending energy sharing across County Route 28—or any other road--would require enabling legislation, such as the bill proposed by Assemblyman Tim Gordon. State law currently allows only individuals or entities to use an alternative energy source for their own location and neighboring properties on the same side of the road.
The ultimate goal of the power authority, McGivney said, is to explore and develop alternative energy systems and to share that energy within the Town of Kinderhook. Envisioned is a power authority that collects energy from producers of wind, solar, water, and other renewable energy sources and distributes it town residents.
“The technology is there. It’s the law that is not,” said McGivney.
Beyond producing “green” power, the low-cost energy created by the power authority is viewed as an economic development tool. The low-cost energy would be used to entice businesses into the community.
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