Westchester Action Plan, 2008 - Westchester County Government

Promote best practices. Government, business, and education should identify and
promote examples of local best practice for energy use such as:
• Energy efficiency projects,
• Green buildings and development that demonstrate return on investment,
• Applications of renewable energy in buildings,
• Use of smart meters in demonstrated projects,
• Use of Energy audits to plan and implement energy savings, and
• Implementation of employee programs to encourage conservation in and out of the
office.
These examples should be jointly promoted through public reporting of results, building
tours, events, press releases, and cable television. The opportunity to use them as venues
for citizens and professional associations meetings should be explored.
Encourage use of renewable energy. The
Task Force recommends that the County
Connecticut has established a clean
Government consider developing with the
energy community program
municipalities, schools and businesses, a program
xxxiii to
encourage communities to commit to
to encourage public commitments to clean,
20% clean power by 2010. The
renewable energy from all sectors. This should
program promotes and provides tools
include an opportunity for communities to commit
and incentives to communities making
as a unit to the program, and for individuals and
the commitment.
organizations to commit separately. The program
should include a public pledge by participants, a
recognition program for participants, and public reporting of results.
Promote green buildings. All sectors should encourage the building-related professional
organizations and arts and architectural community to develop a green building design
competition. Organizations to potentially participate include Westchester Builders Institute,
American Institute of Architects/Westchester section, professional organizations of
landscape architects, and ASHRAE Bi-State Chapter. The County Government should also
work with the Realty Board to encourage the listing of green features in real estate listings.
Develop recognition and competition programs in the education sector.
Education should develop recognition programs or competitions involving staff, students
and faculty to promote green power. Recognition programs and competitions could be
intra– and inter-institutional.
Attachment 5: Energy
Westchester Action Plan, 2008 5-16