Meeting Our Climate Goals:
The Renewable Heat Transition Heats up!
Our campaign is heating up! The Renewable Heat Now campaign is about to embark on its third tour. Member organizations include: Alliance for a Green Economy, New Yorkers for Clean Power, NY-GEO, HeatSmart Tompkins, Sane Energy Project, and FrackAction. We will bring workshops for the public and CEU courses for architects, engineers, construction managers, building owners, and students to Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse during the week of November 13.
And on Dec. 6 we will host a rally and press conference in Albany to bring our message to Governor Cuomo!
Currently almost 40% of NYS greenhouse gas emissions come from heating and cooling buildings, and we must switch from fossil fuel combustion to renewable heating and cooling technologies in order to combat climate change and reach our renewable energy goals. We already have efficient electric technologies for this; and we must implement these technologies, not build more fossil fuel infrastructure. An excellent example is Albany's Empire State Plaza; instead of burdening an economically disadvantaged neighborhood with a fracked gas plant, the Empire Plaza could use geothermal heating and cooling. This opportunity is outlined in Jay Egg's November 6 article in Renewable Energy World.
Jay Egg, nationally recognized renewable energy expert in geothermal and HVAC expert, is our main workshop presenter. He will explain how electric heat pumps can efficiently heat and cool our homes and eliminate the need to burn fossil fuels. Staff from the Renewable Heat Now coalition organizations will introduce the campaign, describe the platform, and outline opportunities for the public to be engaged in the transition to renewable heating and cooling in New York State.
Public Workshops:
Monday, November 13 - The Factory
33 Russell St. Rochester, NY
Doors open at 6pm. Event at 6:30pm.
Tour of the Factory geothermal system following the event!
Tuesday, November 14 - UB Main St. Campus
403 Hayes Hall (3435 Main St.) Buffalo, NY
Doors open at 5:30pm. Event at 6pm.
Wednesday, November 15 - Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville
5110 Jamesville Road DeWitt, NY
Doors open at 6:15pm. Event at 6:30pm.
Jay will also, in conjunction with NYSERDA, offer a five-credit Continuing Education course for architects, engineers, HVAC specialists, building construction folks, students, and members of the public who would like to dive more deeply into the technology of ground-sourced (geothermal) heating and cooling systems. Titled Are you ready for the transition to renewable heating and cooling? Learn what you need to know about geothermal heat pumps, the course will be offered in Buffalo and Syracuse.
CEU courses:
Tuesday, November 14 - National Grid
144 Kensington Ave, Buffalo, NY 9am - 3pm
Thursday, November 16 - National Grid
300 Erie Blvd West, Syracuse, NY 9am - 3pm
And here are actions you can take today: please visit our Take Action page. Sign and share the two petitions that we will deliver to Albany on December 6. Let your networks know that we have chartered a bus from NYC (with stops in White Plains & New Paltz) and have set up a carpool link for Dec. 6 travel. And last but not least:
JOIN US for a Rally and Press Conference in Albany at noon Wednesday, December 6. We will gather with renewable heating and cooling advocates from across the state, stand together on the Million Dollar Staircase, and bring the message to Governor Cuomo: Off Oil & Gas, Renewable Heat Now!
Thank you for helping us get the word out about this important campaign because warming our homes should not require warming the planet!!
Jessica and Andra
Alliance for a Green Economy
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