Sustainability Commission

Sustainability Advisory Committee MEETING AGENDA Thursday, June 2, 2022 6:00 PM-7:30 PM Via Zoom – Link to join will be emailed to committee members. . Meeting notice will be posted on the Sustainability Advisory Committee webpage at https://www.albanyny.gov/342/Sustainability-Advisory-Committee, the Sustainable Albany Facebook page and Albany Office of Sustainability Facebook page. Meeting will be livestreamed via Facebook. Advance questions/comments from the public can be sent via Facebook message or emailed to: Sustainability@albanyny.gov Attendees: Tina, Dan, David, Jackie, Gaby, Andre, Scott ,Laura, Michelle, Joe, Randy, Bill, Poulomi, Frank, Jason Absent: Harriet, Violetta Other: Kate Carleo, John Ciovacco, Jerry Acton ● Regular Business – 10 minutes , o Call to Order and roll call – Commissioners, please send designee if unable to attend ▪ o Review/Approval of May 5, 2022 minutes ▪ Meeting minutes approved at 6:02pm o Public Comment Period (Approx. 3 minutes per comment) ▪ None ● New Business –70 minutes o (25 min) Update from John Ciovacco on Albany Geothermal Loop progress. ▪ Jerry Acton on as well from Aztec Geothermal ▪ Energy Master Plan Project in Sheridan Hollow, Southeast neighborhoods in Albany ▪ Brownfield Opportunity Area for Sheridan Hollow was approved – possible benefits to installing energy infrastructure ▪ Received $100k to do Energy Master Plan for full Sheridan Hollow neighborhood 1 ▪ Exploring multiple opportunities, brought on CHA Consulting (formerly Clough, Harbour & Assoc.) as a larger engineering company to help advance opportunities ● Geothermal/ network geothermal/ ● Full electrification ▪ Case study locations being looked at: Steamboat ▪ Empire State Plaza Energy Master Plan (NYPA/OGS/Ramboll) ● Looking at doing a geothermal installation for plaza ● Coordinating energy resources and plans at Empire State Plaza to benefit larger community ▪ Upgrade state parking lots w EV, strormwater retention, geothermal ▪ Looking to make project replicable, feedback from SAC for broader coordination – plan to make CLCPA goals ● Network thermal grid using ambient temperature water ● Storm sewer can be tapped as energy resource ● Master Plan would lay that out, working with Ithaca on this o Total electric load, total geothermal o Replicable – akin to Lego blocks ▪ PON 4614 Community Energy Program through NYSERDA ● 40 studies going on (most are campuses), includes Monument Square in Troy ● 3 funded for construction ● Stages: Scoping/ Detailed Engineering/ Construction o Scoping funding: $100k with no match required, but match or cost share preferred o Engineering: $500k w no cost share(?) o Construction: $4M w 50% cost share ▪ $4M likely not 50% of cost of a project ● Geothermal is currently at cost neutral for heating, some savings for air conditioning o Doing study to determine other funding options, ex: in MA using gas rate payer funds to fund installation. Strong outreach, install heat pump as part of pilot project, 80% subscribed. Blue collar neighborhood ● On bill recovery? o Form of loan where need to pay extra on your utility bill, adds to expenses o If person is in an assisted EMPOWER Programs through NYSERDA, the reimbursement is higher. Need to figure out how to make it accessible and affordable in low- 2  income areas. Energy MP is deep dive into conversion strategies. ● Not sure if need electrical service upgrade to switch to a heat pump, in some instances yes. ● CCA does not provide Community Aggregate info that could be used for needs for electrical upgrades ● Water recirculates in closed loop, may have none toxic antifreeze, something that will be evaluated, water comes in and returns to Hudson volumes and temp changes. ● Recommend to taking Energy MP approach more broadly in Albany ▪ Suggestion – form a working committee to work with John and Jerry on this topic to help advance – provide names to Tina ▪ Send additional question for John/ Jerry to Dan o (10 min) Update on Clean Energy Community Campaigns – 3 campaigns (Energy Efficiency/Heat Pumps, Community Solar and Electric Vehicles) approved by NYSERDA on 10-18-2. (Tina, Jason, Jackie) ▪ Will check with NYSERDA for updates on EV, Energy Efficiency and Heat Pumps ▪ Have gone up on Community Solar ● Working on water bill insert – Jason working on Purchase Order, needs price. o Andrea Shealy – Customer Service Supervisor in charge of billing to help determine billing cycle o (15 min) Legislative update: bills to consider endorsing before end of session. ▪ Tenant Dignity and Safe Housing Act (TDSHA) would establish a streamlined court process to give tenants a way to sue their landlords for relief for not addressing code violations; relief could include eviction prevention, rent abatement, rent refund, or reduction in future rent until landlord makes the repairs ▪ Right to Counsel would extend the right to free counsel to housing tenants; this has been adopted in other states and has shown to save money by preventing homelessness and costs related to court ▪ Better Bottle Bill would likely increase NY’s stagnant redemption rate from 64% to the 90% seen in other states where the deposit is 10 cents. It would also lead to a lot more recycling since it would include more types of beverages (non-carbonated) and their containers, including glass wine/liquor bottles. It would lower costs for municipalities who are 3  currently paying a lot of $ for recycling, a good part of which ends up in landfills anyway. A Better Bottle Bill means that more people will take their bottles to redemption centers where the bottles are much more likely to actually be recycled and not end up in landfills. ● Legislative session ends tonight, focus on the ones with Sustainability connection. Keep bills on radar to promote next year if don’t pass this year. ● Michelle report out on status of bills for July mtg ● Michelle researching how Albany can be prepared to meet goals of CLCPA esp the DAC focus, over 50% of census tracts and 40% of households are in DAC o Have presentation to Equity SC on topic and invite community to start conversation around those issues, provide feedback to SAC on how presentations go and give update o Dan will connect w Michelle one-on-one on this ● If Better Bottle Bill does not pass, proposal that SAC draft letter to Mayor to sign and Frank to sign as Dep Comm for OGS to increase community recycling o 40 years since original bill passed, in communities with 10cent fee see 90% redemption rate. o (5 min) Review of needs for Annual Report (Gaby) ▪ Send by this weekend, will send draft out to members by late June for review before submitted adopted at July or Aug mtg and sent to Common Council/Mayor. o (15 min) Director of Sustainability, Commissioners and Subcommittee Chairs: Updates ▪ Jason: Community Solar Farm that city is anchor tenant for going live this year, met w Stacey Pettigrew w Radix for heat island study, Community GHG inventory (all emissions in city boundaries) 1.2metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year – worked w group to establish science based targets to stay within Paris Accord requirements (keep temp to 1.5 – 2 degree increase) need to reduce levels by 61% reduction by 2023 – double what was set in adopted City Action Plan from 10 yrs ago. ● Need SAC to help find ways to reduce levels ● How much of city energy supply from solar farm? Jason will find out and share with SAC o Energy audits happening w how to increase efficiency in next few months 4  ▪ Joe: Successful w 500k lead service award , went through EPA field audit for water system – work w lead water services ahead of curve w inventory/education, noted culture and team work – water staff turned over in last 8 yrs have achieved ▪ Tina: Tulipfest, first waste for vendors and participants, diverted 2,000 pounds of food waste, 25-30 volunteers, discussed lessons learned, want to hold again next year. Joint Office of Sustainability and Zero Waste SC table at Alive at Five. Educator through DEC grant tabling at Juneteenth event. Volunteers for Alive at 5 reach out to Tina. Joe – suggestion for next year try to get tent closer to foot paths – Tina: maybe put tables for people to eat next to Sustainability tent – David: combine Solarize Albany into Sustainability tent, put tent near newer bed location ▪ Frank: Moving along w composting program, 100 more ppl signed up for backyard bins, more trees being planted this month ▪ Bill: Supporting upcoming projects ▪ Randy: Working with Capital District Transportation Committee, not official yet but have been able to secure record funding ($7.2M), still needs public comment and approval for policy board. Once official can share more. ▪ Gaby: Continuing to work on lead outreach materials, diving back into CSC/CEC action items; not available for July 7 mtg ▪ Scott: A lot happening, tree planting, urban ag issues – working with students, boat with renewable river regeneration program at Radix, looking for place to keep it on Albany waterfront, meeting with Poulomin to place at sewage overflows ▪ Andre: No updates ▪ Daniel: Harriet working on a few transportation items, connected new person ▪ David: No money spent or received yet ▪ Michelle: Putting together list of topics learning about and if want update or report let Michelle know, working with Andre ▪ Poulomi: Projects on track nothing ▪ Jackie: No updates Next meeting –Thurs. July 7, 2022 at 6 pm. Adjournment: 5