Breaking News About Our Electricity Supply

Statement dated Wed, Nov 5:
Sustainable Westchester has informed us that the Westchester Power renewable energy program [CCA] will be discontinued at the end of this year. This decision results from practical implementation challenges associated with recently-adopted State outreach and education mandates. Sustainable Westchester has concluded that these regulatory requirements cannot be met on a schedule consistent with the program’s continued operation.

Starting with this December’s utility bill, customers who take no action will be returned to Con Edison as their default supplier of electricity.

As an alternative, customers may select another Energy Services Company (“ESCO”) for electricity supply. A list of currently active suppliers can be found HERE.

The Village of Tarrytown remains committed to working with Sustainable Westchester to accelerate a transition to clean power, promote energy efficiency, reduce costs, and improve resiliency.

For questions about the Westchester Power program or to learn more about Sustainable Westchester’s wide-ranging services, please email info@sustainablewestchester.org or call 914-242-4725 x.128.

This comes as a surprise to all of us. It means that our default electricity supply will NOT - for the time being - contribute toward the renewable-energy transition goals of NY State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). And, our default electricity supply rate will no longer be held constant for a two-year period (per the already-negotiated contract that was to go into effect), but will vary depending on ConEd’s own market supplies. (Some of you may have already opted out of Westchester Power, in which case this will not affect you directly.)

As the statement suggests, and for those of you willing to go through the process, there are alternative “greener” energy suppliers (ESCOs) you may choose instead of keeping the default "brown” sources Con Ed uses. Instead of the Con Ed link in the statement, we prefer to use the NY State “Power To Choose” site. It provides more information on the ESCO choices you can make, from hydroelectric to 100% NY-supplied solar and wind, the rate they charge, and whether the rate is fixed for a period of months or variable. Be aware that, once a fixed-rate period expires and is not renewed, it can rise, sometimes dramatically.

For reference: 

• The rate for the current Con Ed default, variable “brown” mix is 13.15 cents/kWh. (ConEd does not offer a renewable option.)
• The 50% renewable, 24-month fixed rate we would have gotten from Westchester Power was 11.81 cents/kWh, or 12.26 for the 100% renewable opt-in.
• The 24-month fixed rate for 100% renewable energy from several other ESCOs: Clean Choice Energy 14.7, Residents Energy 15.1, and IDT Energy 15.11 cents/kWh.

TEAC encourages residents - even those with solar panels - to switch to a 100% renewable utility supply from an ESCO. Another alternative for getting a renewable solar energy supply and a 10% discount off your ConEd supply rate is to subscribe to a Community Solar project. You get the benefit of solar energy produced elsewhere. Check https://sustainablewestchester.org/communitysolar/ to see what’s available.

Recycling Update

On Oct 15th, your TEAC co-chair, along with members of Sustainable Sleepy Hollow and other local environmental groups, had a Zoom call with Lou Vetrone, the Commissioner of the County’s Department of Environmental Facilities, which includes the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Yonkers. That’s where our paper and commingled recyclables go to get separated into pallet-loads of specific materials and sold to recyclers. We wanted to learn how we could improve our recycling by making smarter choices at our waste bins.

We came away with some basic principles that the County is trying to get across to residents in order to increase the fraction of recyclable trash that actually makes it to the MRF, instead of going to be burned at the incinerator in Peekskill. A study of our trash stream found that 20% remained recyclable, so the County is taking a “back to basics” approach, uncomplicating the recycling rules so more people will participate. 

Here are some of the “keep it simple” tenets and other questions we covered:

Commingled (metal, glass or plastic) containers:

• YES: Any plastic item with a recycle symbol - there’s a market for all symbols
• YES: Tetra packs (juice and shelf-stable liquid boxes) if empty and rinsed
• YES: Aluminum foil, as long as no food or plastic is stuck to it
• NO: Plastic bags in or around recyclables - they clog the machinery and should instead go to bins at grocery stores
• NO: Items smaller than a credit card, they fall through the machinery
• NO: Items made of mixed materials, like blister packs stuck to paper - trash them
• NO: Items marked “compostable” - they will get rejected
• NO: broken glass - it’s a hazard to workers
• CAREFUL: Empty food- and drink-container contents and scrape or rinse off as much residue as you can - a small streak is OK - but don’t waste hot water, detergent and energy washing items
• CAREFUL: Leave small caps and lids on, or trash them

• YES: Pizza boxes without food, but tear off and trash grease-soaked parts
• YES: Small staples on office paper
• YES: Paper with crayon or paint
• NO: Items with glue, lots of sticky labels, metal parts or lots of tape - they jam the machinery
• NO: Books, even paperbacks - donate them to the Library if in good condition
• NO: Metal paperclips, binder clips, clasps, Pendaflex bars or large packing staples
• NO: Adhesive stickers
• NO: Plastic- or wax-coated items, like frozen-food boxes
• CAREFUL: Home-shredded paper needs to be in a closed paper bag or box

• 64,000 tons were recycled last year, which netted $5.9M overall for the County
• Every ton recycled saves municipalities $130 versus trashing
• Overall, 10% of what comes to MRF is rejected as trash; over 95-97% is sold to marketers
• Westchester’s recycling has a higher sell-rate than other parts of the country because:
  • It’s dual-stream - commingle and paper
  • We invest in good technology - recently $1M spent for upgrades and new robotic arms
  • The resale market is different in different regions
• The only item MRF doesn’t make a profit on is glass, as there is no local market for it - it’s sold for a low price to a company that uses it in cement and paint
• Concerns about reported toxic runoff from recycling facilities doesn’t apply to us - the MRF doesn’t rinse or process materials, only collects, separates and bales

• Leaves protect soil moisture
• Leaves prevent soil erosion
• Leaves return nutrients to the soil
• Leaves provide habitat

Celebrating Thanksgiving during World Vegan Month
By Rachel Tieger, TEAC Co-Chair
 

World Vegan Day was created in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of The Vegan Society, and takes place annually on 1 November. Celebrating World Vegan Month helps to acknowledge how far the vegan movement has come and to celebrate those who are making conscientious choices to create a greener, healthier, and kinder world for all. Even small actions like participating in Meatless Mondays or only eating a vegan diet on weekdays add up to make a difference for our environment. 

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, an impactful approach would be to ask your guests to prepare all of the side dishes and sauces without animal products. That way everyone at the table can feel good about indulging in the feast, and some might be happily surprised by the delights of vegan cuisine. 

A quick Google search will provide you with vegan recipes for all kinds of traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Just add the word “vegan” next to the dish you want to make. (e.g. “Vegan Stuffing” or “Vegan Mashed Potatoes”) and feel empowered to make substitutions that suit your household. I plan to make shaved brussel sprouts or lentil stuffed delicato squash, but this soup recipe provided by Cari Newton is a total crowd-pleaser, and can be enjoyed all season long. 

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup 
2 tablespoons of vegan butter or olive oil 
1 small onion chopped 
2 cloves of garlic 
1 stalk of celery 
1 medium carrot 
3 small red potatoes cubed 
1 medium butternut squash — peeled, remove seeds, and cube 
1 32 ounce container of vegetable stock or 32 ounce of homemade vegetable stock 
Salt and pepper to taste. 

Add olive oil or vegan butter to a large pot on medium high heat. When the vegan butter sizzles add the butternut squash, red potatoes, onion, carrot, potatoes, celery, and garlic. Mix vegetables with a wooden spoon and add salt and pepper. Cook to lightly brown (about 6 minutes). 

Add the vegetable stock to the vegetable mix and bring to a boil. Once you have achieved a rolling boil reduce the heat to low and let the pot simmer for about 35-40 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix with a hand held immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender you can use a regular upright blender just be careful because the liquid is hot. Consistency is key. If you like it thicker you can blend in more cooked vegetables. Add more vegetable stock if you prefer your soup with more liquid. 

Happy Thanksgiving!