Westchester Action Plan, 2008 - Westchester County Government

Promote Realignment of Regulation and Codes
County and Municipal Level
The Task Force welcomes the County government’s recent action exempting solar
installations from sales tax and recommends such action be extended to geothermal
installations as soon as State law allows such an exemption.
In addition to these recommendations, the Task Force has made recommendations in the
Land Use Section of this report that have important energy implications. The Land Use
section should be consulted for more information.
State Level
State purchasing, building code and tax requirements can be barriers to change.
Additionally the state and federal governments have opportunities to encourage energy
efficiency and use of renewable energy. In recognition of this, the Task Force recommends
that sectors work together to encourage New York State to:
• Amend the state-wide building code to:
• Better address energy efficiency,
sustainability, and green building.
• Allow streamlining of safety and
architectural review for on site
renewable energy installations.
• Legislate requirements:
• For energy audits of buildings and
residences and disclosure of energy
costs at time of sale.
• To expand net metering to
commercial and non-residential
buildings.
• To create residential sales and use tax
exemption for geothermal energy
systems equipment (as exists for solar
energy systems equipment).
• To require utilities to make renewable
energy directly available to the
customer.
Both Maine xxx and Washington xxxi have
adopted green building standards for
state-funded affordable housing
projects.
Net Metering allows owners of on
site small, renewable energy facilities,
such as wind or solar power, to
connect to the grid and deduct the
excess energy they provide to the grid
from any grid-sourced electricity they
use on site. The energy outflows are
deducted from the metered energy
inflows.
• To include energy efficiency and sustainability in the criteria for state programs
for low-income and affordable housing.
Attachment 5: Energy
Westchester Action Plan, 2008 5-13