Here in Rockland County government we are not only committed to respecting and preserving our local environment but doing so in a way that saves your taxpayer dollars. Our Purchasing Director, Paul Brennan, worked with the Rockland County Sewer District No. 1, Rockland Community College and the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority to award a contract to provide 100% green/renewable electricity to each agency over the next three years all at a lower cost!

The County Purchasing Division managed a Cooperative Bidding process on behalf of the agencies and aggregated each agency’s demand to obtain more competitive pricing. The contract with Engie Power & Gas will provide Renewable Energy
Certificates (RECs) based on U.S. generated wind power which will match 100% of the agencies’ usage during the contract term.

The physical electricity the County receives through the utility grid says nothing of its origin or how it was generated, RECs play an important role in accounting, tracking, and assigning ownership to renewable electricity generation and use. RECs are the
instrument that electricity consumers use to substantiate the purchase of renewable electricity.

Annual savings are projected to be $79,257 for the County, $95,118 for the Rockland County Sewer District, No. 1, $12,002 for Rockland Community College and $14,143 for the Rockland County Solid Waste Authority. In total, savings are projected at $601,560 for all agencies, over the three-year term of the contract.

This is a win-win for all of us locally; we are saving significant taxpayer dollars while making use of 100% renewable electricity. Think of it as Rockland’s version of a “Green New Deal.” I’m proud of each of these agencies for recognizing the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and want to reaffirm Rockland County’s commitment to achieving New York State Climate Smart Communities Certification.

Also, as part of the County’s Shared Service Initiative, the County’s contract award allows other local governments to ‘piggyback’ on the County contract pricing, thereby eliminating the need for the local government to issue their own cooperative bid. This
enables smaller local governments to take advantage of the aggregated purchasing power of the County, Sewer District, College and Solid Waste Management Authority.

We have already spoken to additional municipalities and agencies about their joining in on this contract. My special thanks and acknowledgement to our County Purchasing Director Paul Brennan and his team; together we are turning Rockland green!

*This is a weekly column by Rockland County Ed Day.