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Village to renew contract with New York Power Authority

Greenport Village is nearing an agreement with the New York Power Authority to continue its contract to supply the village with hydropower for the next 15 years.

Village administrator Paul Pallas said the agreement, which is currently before the governor’s office for final approval, will renew the existing contract with NYPA.

“This is Greenport’s cheap electricity,” Trustee Julia Robins said at Thursday’s work session. “This is our hydropower from Niagara Falls that we receive with many other small municipalities throughout the state.”

Through the agreement, the village will generate a renewable energy fund, which can be used to cover the cost of certain energy-efficient projects, Mr. Pallas said. The village is mandated to allocate one-tenth of one-cent-per-kilowatt-hour-sold into a fund that will be used only for energy efficiency projects.

The village could save roughly $30,000 to $40,000 annually, Mr. Pallas said. Funds not spent this year will carry over and can be used for any energy-efficiency project, such as solar panels or a battery charger, he said.

Ms. Robins recognized Mr. Pallas for his five years of negotiation on the contract.

“It was a tremendous lobbying effort to get everyone involved,” she said. “We have to give some credit to Paul because he was instrumental in making sure this happens.”

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