$25,000 GRANT AWARDED ON EARTH DAY TO BE USED FOR SENECA LAKE WATERSHED PROJECTS
GENEVA, NY (May 6, 2020)— On Earth Day 2020, the Town of Geneva received a $25,000 sustainability grant from Geneva Community Power. The Town intends to use the funds for stormwater control projects benefiting Seneca Lake. Geneva Community Power announced last June that enrollment in the town-sponsored community solar program exceeded the number of subscriptions necessary to ensure the solar farm could be built, thereby meeting the enrollment target and ensuring the grant award. The check was to be presented at the solar program’s launch celebration originally scheduled for earth day. While the celebration was postponed due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the Town still received the funds according to schedule. Enrollment targets were met as a result of local participation and support of the program.
The Town intends to use the grant money to pay for engineering work that is a required prerequisite to securing NY State grant funding to finance a $150,000-$200,000 storm water control project. The $25,000 from Geneva Community Power for local sustainability projects would, in the case of securing the State funding, be a key factor in accomplishing a project valued at eight times the amount of the initial award. Because of the four hundred local subscribers to the Town of Geneva-sponsored community solar program, all of the communities, businesses, and residents that rely on Seneca Lake will benefit. Moreover, those community solar subscribers will see electricity bill savings while also contributing to the fight against global warming by supporting locally generated renewable, clean energy.
Mark Venuti, Supervisor for the Town of Geneva and a champion of the program, said, “I’m proud of the community for coming together to ensure we could meet the enrollment target and I’m excited about the prospect of being able to complete watershed projects. But aside from the grant, the program is good for subscribers. By signing up for Geneva Community Power, subscribers can expect to save approximately 10% on electricity annually and help combat climate change by supporting renewable energy generation. There’s no penalty to withdraw from the program at any time so, there’s also no real risk.”
Joule CEO Mike Gordon remarked, “The success of the Geneva Community Power launch demonstrates that a model that empowers communities works. The enrollment target was not an arbitrary number. It was the number at which the economics of the solar farm made sense for a developer to build the farm and launch the program. With the solar farm going live, we are now able to give back to the community in the form of a sustainability grant. Grants such as this one make it possible for communities to fund sustainability projects of their choosing, projects that make sense for them. Geneva Community Power augments our path to 100% renewable energy, and it’s a step that will benefit a wider community—those Finger Lakes residents and businesses that depend upon and are located near Seneca Lake. Geneva is a trailblazer, and we expect many other towns to follow their lead.”
About Geneva Community PowerGeneva Community Power is a local renewable energy program serving residents and businesses in the NY Finger Lakes region. The Town of Geneva and Joule Community Power have partnered to establish the program that allows subscribers to benefit from solar energy by spending less on electricity while supporting NY State-based clean energy generation. To learn more, visit
genevacommunitypower.com.
About Joule Community Power
Joule Community Power works with municipalities and local partners to empower communities and facilitate their goals of providing residents and businesses with cleaner and cheaper energy. With no upfront cost to a municipality or its residents, Joule’s first-of-kind, integrated Community Power program helps municipalities and consumers (1) save money by gaining leverage to procure less expensive electricity for residents and businesses, (2) make money by creating new revenue opportunities through participation in energy markets, and (3) go green by gaining local control to opt for clean and renewable generation sources. Joule's distinctive expertise in designing and implementing new consumer-protective energy supply contracts was instrumental in the creation of New York State’s first community choice aggregation (CCA) energy program. Joule is the only company in NY State offering CCA administrative services with a Public Service Commission-approved implementation plan that integrates community solar projects; and only Joule has the expertise, relationships, and experience to effectively design, implement, and manage such a program. Joule’s innovative renewable energy strategy is driving new regulation and encouraging the NY State Public Service Commission to rapidly advance innovative solutions. Having created the blueprint to guide communities through a smooth and empowering decision process, Joule aims to scale its Community Power model across NY State and beyond. Joule also offers capacity tag management services to businesses wishing to reduce their electricity costs by strategically managing their energy consumption. Joule Community Power is a division of
Joule Assets.
Victor-Pierre Melendez, MPA
Sales & Outreach Director
Joule Community Power
