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Would you like to join us?
We meet on the 4th Wednesday every month from 7-8:30pm by zoom to discuss project updates and what's going on in the town and the region.
If interested, email colorpenfieldgreen@gmail.com. Hope to hear from you soon!
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Color Penfield Green Will Offer Two Classes This Winter Through Penfield Recreation:
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 Electric Cars 101 - Your Guide to EVs 
Two 90 minute classes, 1 week apart
1/20 & 1/27 at 3pm OR at 7pm
NOW ONLINE ONLY
Are you thinking about purchasing an Electric Vehicle (EV)? If you are, definitely sign up for this two-part class that’s loaded with tons of information about these vehicles and is presented by Penfield residents who currently own EVs themselves. We’ll answer lots of frequently asked questions in this course like, Can you take EVs through a carwash? or Don't I need to replace batteries every year?
We'll start with an introduction to EVs and take you through their advantages and disadvantages, considerations in choosing and buying an electric car (including financial incentives & rebates), options for charging them at home or on the road and how they will work for you around town and on long trips away from home. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask current EV owners questions and view their electric cars up close and in person.
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Are You Ready for ALL-ELECTRIC Home Heating & Cooling? 
One 90 minute class
2/3 at 3pm OR at 7pm
NOW ONLINE ONLY
Is your home’s old fossil fuel burning gas furnace or hot water heater ready for replacement? Is your old inefficient central A/C unit running up high electricity bills each month? Want much better alternatives? If so, sign up for this class to learn lots more about the many great options now available for going ALL-ELECTRIC with your home’s heating, cooling and hot water production needs by installing super high efficiency air-source and ground-source (geothermal) electric heat pump solutions that are available right now.
This course will be presented using case studies from Penfield residents who have already installed air and ground source heat pumps for heating and cooling their own homes. Learn about their experiences, different types of equipment on the market and the many financial incentives and rebates that are available currently when purchasing these systems. You’ll also find out how to obtain a no-cost energy assessment of your home’s heating and cooling needs.
The future of cleaner, greener and more cost-effective home heating and cooling systems is here now, and it’s ALL-ELECTRIC!
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Browse the online Penfield Recreation Brochure, pages 26, 27, 35 & 38
Register Online for these courses HERE
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Healthy Yards Monroe County Presents: Reconnecting to Nature By Creating a Healthy Yard
Online, hosted by the Henrietta Library
Wednesday, Feb 9, 7 – 8pm
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Come with Megan on a journey – a story of gardens that move from purely decorative to ones that also serve important ecological functions. When we tune in to our many wisdom keepers of the day we are energized to make changes in our own backyards that enhance the lives of not only ourselves and families but also our pollinators and birds.
Megan Meyer is a Master Gardener with a background in landscape design and plant propagation. She lectures on several garden related topics. Her talks weave together her knowledge of gardening, the effects of climate change, and ethical stewardship of our landscapes. She co-leads Color Penfield Green, a resident lead environmental advocacy group, as well as Color Your Community Green’s Healthy Yards Monroe County campaign. Registration is now open!
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PCSD's Sustainability Committee Looks to Establish Benchmarks
by Anna Yatteau (PHS Junior)
Starting off the New Year strong, the PCSD Sustainability Committee reconvened at the beginning of the month.
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In order to collect “baseline” data to guide the components of the sustainability plan as it is developed in the coming months, conducting a districtwide energy audit was a focus of the meeting. Since the previous meeting, Dr. Driffill (Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance) was in contact with NYSERDA and has enrolled us in their free P-12 Benchmarking Program for schools. A NYSERDA consultant from Wendel Energy Services, LLC will be joining an upcoming sustainability committee meeting to further explain the process. Additionally, plans for a waste audit at the elementary level are taking shape, with NHS member Garrett Webster organizing a volunteer team to sort and weigh cafeteria waste. Both the energy and waste audits are essential steps toward forming a district sustainability plan by providing targets for reducing carbon-intensive practices.
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Bring Monroe Back Public Feedback
Color Penfield Green Submits Comments
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Monroe County received hundreds of millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and solicited public feedback for how the money should be spent. Color Penfield Green wrote a letter encouraging the county to prioritize sustainability projects that would both mitigate Greenhouse Gas emissions and address regional inequality:
- Green jobs development
- Funding better public transportation or alternative transportation
- Thoughtfully siting and building renewable energy projects
We also asked them to:
- Develop plans to make all county buildings and facilities net zero
- Build a county anaerobic digester and/or municipal composting facility
- Transform county lands to support native pollinators and birds
- Build out more EV charging infrastructure
Our deepest gratitude goes to Color Penfield Green's Barbara Grosh for writing the outstanding letter.
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Igor Orlovich continues to follow the news about Electric Vehicles and has curated items for fans and those thinking about going electric for their next car, SUV, or truck.
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News from the Automakers
- The Chevrolet Silverado EV has been revealed. They are taking reservations now for a summer '24 arrival. The estimated MSRP is $39,900. Check out all the features here and a review from Green Car Reports here.
- GM confirmed that a fully electric version of its Equinox compact SUV will arrive in fall of 2023, starting around $30,000 - before incentives!
- VW is going retro with their ID Buzz EV Microbus and will be at dealerships in 2023.
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EV News - NY State
Governor Hochul just signed into law S3929/A3876, which requires investor owned utilities (i.e. RG&E) to file with the public service commission an electric vehicle charging commercial tariff that allows a customer to purchase electricity for the purpose of recharging a vehicle.
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Internal Combustion Engines vs Electric in a Frozen, Overnight Traffic Jam
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An opinion piece in the Washington Post (1/4/22) saying that the recent 20+ hour frozen traffic jam in VA would have been worse if everyone was driving EVs has been rebutted. Check out the arguments and decide for yourself!
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Watch "Awakening the Dreamer" and Reflect on Your Role in a More Sustainable Future
Free, ~2hr online video series and reflection exercise
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 The Pachamama Alliance offers a free online video series, Awakening the Dreamer. They challenge you to take an honest look at the challenging state of the world, reflect, and discover opportunities to create a new future where you have a key role to play. Color Penfield Green member, Lou Anne DaRin, just went through the exercise and found it was a very worthwhile process and recommends it for others.
The Pachamama Alliance is a global community that offers people the chance to learn, connect, engage, travel and cherish life for the purpose of creating a sustainable future that works for all - and it has a vibrant local chapter here in Rochester. Color Penfield Green actually began in 2018 as a project that Al Hibner developed in a Pachamama/Drawdown Workshop. Read his story here.
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Climate Action Council Releases Draft Scoping Plan: Public Comment Period Open
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NY's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 made our state the most ambitious in terms of emissions reduction:
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85% Reduction in GHG Emissions by 2050
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100% Zero-emission Electricity by 2040
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70% Renewable Energy by 2030
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9,000 MW of Offshore Wind by 2035
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3,000 MW of Energy Storage by 2030
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6,000 MW of Solar by 2025
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22 Million Tons of Carbon Reduction through Energy Efficiency and Electrification
While the goals were admirably aggressive, the details of how to meet those milestones were missing. The Climate Action Council was created to devise a pathway to meet the CLCPA. After two years of meeting with subcommittees and stakeholders, they have released a draft scoping plan. There will be multiple meetings in the coming months for the public to offer feedback or you can submit comments online anytime.
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Take a Quick Action for Climate Change:
Email our Senators and President Biden to ask them to Price Carbon in the Build Back Better Act
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President Biden and the Senate are still negotiating on the Build Back Better bill. And, we need your help to make sure that the climate provisions remain in the bill. Will you contact President Biden and the Senate to let them know we want strong climate policy that reduces America’s carbon pollution 50% by 2030? This is a pre-filled email that could be edited (or not!) before sending to your elected officials. It will take less than 2 minutes.
Citizens Climate Lobby is a 13 year old bipartisan environmental group advocating for federal policies that will ensure a livable climate while protecting low to middle income Americans. CCL-Rochester is an action-oriented chapter, always welcoming new volunteers.
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Mark Your Calendars for These
Upcoming Events
Hope to see you there!
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Growing in Harmony
Register now for the 2022
NOFA-NY annual conference
January 18-23rd
online
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 NOFA-NY’s Winter Conference is one of the largest organic food and farming conferences in the nation – gathering hundreds each year to meet old friends, learn new skills, provide support, and celebrate community. The 2022 conference features more than 100 presenters and 13 different educational tracks. Learn more and register here.
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Heat Smart Monroe Presents: A Geothermal Story
Wednesday, January 19th, 7-8:30pm
Online, free
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Heat Smart Monroe presents "A Geothermal Story." Attendees will hear a firsthand account from someone who utilized the Clean Heating & Cooling Program to upgrade their HVAC system to geothermal.
Rob Richardson, the Clean Energy Communities Coordinator from the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region, will share his experience from assessment to activation as well as the benefits received!
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, so feel free to bring your questions!
Learn more and get the zoom link here!
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Amped Presents: Getting to Know Commercial Building Electrification Technologies
Thursday, Jan 20th, 12-12:45pm
Webinar, free
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Do you own a business or know someone who does? This month's webinar will focus on building electrification options so you have the facts about features, cost, efficiency, environmental impact, and where to find financial incentives. Learning goals:
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Get familiar with technology options for commercial building electrification
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Understand the pros and cons of different types of systems
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Learn about building electrification best practices
Register here.
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Heat Smart Monroe Open Discussions
Thursday, Jan 27th, 4:30-5:30pm
Online, free
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Interested in clean heating and cooling for your home but don't know where to start? Have you started exploring your options and now have questions? Join Heat Smart Monroe in an online, informal meeting to have local experts answer your questions. Learn more here.
Learn more about Sustainable Homes Rochester and Heat Smart Monroe at www.cityofrochester.gov/shr and www.heatsmartmonroe.org
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Breaking Boundaries:
Film and Panel Discussion
Saturday, Jan 29th, 1-3:30pm
Online, free
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Join climate advocates for a film screening and discussion of “Breaking Boundaries”! It’s never been more clear or urgent: our Earth’s systems and its inhabitants are suffering as climate change intensifies. This powerful film looks at how these changes are taking place, followed by a note of hope: four simple, specific actions anyone can take to make a difference.
Post-Film Presentation and Q&A on the Four Actions:
- Carbon Emission Reduction - Al Hibner (Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Color Penfield Green)
- Zero Waste - Nancy Steinkamp (Impact Earth)
- Plant-based Diet - Ted and Carol Barnett (Rochester Vegan Society and Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute)
- Reforestation - Steve Aman (Aman’s Nursery)
Register here.
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Penfield's Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Program
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Penfield's CCA Program Up & Running - 12/2021 to 12/2023
Renewable electricity for Penfield’s CCA program is being provided to us from low-impact hydro-electric facilities in NY State. Color Penfield Green members urge you to consider opting into the Penfield 100 product for your homes and businesses! You will be able to go 100% Renewable at a fixed rate/kWh for the next two years.
We looked at a resident's October 2021 electricity bill to see what Penfield Green and Penfield 100 would mean for him. The default Penfield Green would have saved him ~$2. Opting up to 100% renewable would have cost less than $5 more. Check out the full analysis HERE.
RATES EFFECTIVE:
December 2021 - December 2023 |
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PENFIELD GREEN
(default product)
5.733¢/kWh
50% Renewable Electricity |
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PENFIELD 100
(opt-in HERE for this product)
6.443¢/kWh
100% Renewable Electricity |
- Browse Good Energy's PenfieldCCA.com Website - HERE
- Enroll in Penfield's CCA electricity program for the 1st time - HERE
- Or... Opt-Up to Penfield 100 - Our 100% Renewable Electricity Program - HERE
- Or... Opt-Out of our CCA electricity program altogether (at any time) - HERE
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Color Your Community Green
January Newsletter
Did you know that Color Penfield Green is part of a regional network of volunteers called Color Your Community Green (CYCG), all supported by the Climate Solutions Accelerator?
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We have sister teams in Irondequoit, Henrietta, Fairport, South Wedge, Pittsford, Chili, Spencerport, Webster, Richmond and elsewhere in the region. We collaborate with each other, learn together, and cheer each other on. You can read about all the great projects going on in these other communities in the January newsletter. Subscribe here.
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Community Solar...
Good for the Planet and Your Wallet
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Color Penfield Green's Brandon Maharaj explains what Community Solar is and what the benefits are:
- bring down the cost of your electricity while reducing your carbon footprint
- drive new solar array construction &
- put New Yorkers to work in good paying, green jobs
To learn more, click here.
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ColorPenfieldGreen is an organization of residents of the Town of Penfield, NY who are concerned about the environment. Our goals are to:
- inform fellow residents about all the incredible ways that our community is “Going Green” with a focus on climate
- educate people as to how they can reduce their carbon footprints - at individual, family, neighborhood, municipal, state, and federal levels
- organize local volunteers to participate in high impact campaigns, and
- support and empower Penfield residents to become community leaders in addressing climate change.
We are respectful, inclusive, nonpartisan, solutions-focused, collaborative, scientifically-informed, and committed to social, racial, environmental, and intergenerational justice.
We are proud of all that Penfield has accomplished and are excited to help lead the way in protecting our environment in the future. Please check out our new and still evolving website ColorPenfieldGreen.org and join us in our current and future campaigns! If interested, send an email to ColorPenfieldGreen@gmail.com.
We'd love to grow our Penfield audience! Share this link with your friends and neighbors so they can sign up to receive this newsletter too:
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