Southampton Town Passes 100 Percent Renewable Energy Goals For 2025

Southampton Town recently set a goal to move the entire municipality to renewable energy sources by the year 2025, although some town officials have voiced concerns about a lack of details.

Introduced by Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman and Town Councilman John Bouvier, the stated objective is to power every home and business with green energy and to become carbon-neutral through a combination of conservation, efficiency and alternative energy sources.

Councilwoman Christine Scalera abstained from the vote approving the goal at a May 9 Town Board meeting, noting that there were no formal plans for achieving the goal.

Mr. Bouvier noted that Town Board officials will discuss a plan with the town’s Sustainability Committee at an upcoming work session, although a date has not yet been set.

Councilwoman Julie Lofstad also brought up concerns about how the efforts, which would most likely rely heavily on offshore wind farms, might affect the commercial fishing industry on the East End. She said she would like all stakeholders at the table when discussions take place.

The supervisor noted that a wind farm would pose less risk to the fishing industry than oil drilling, which could have extreme environmental consequences from oil spills.

Mr. Schneiderman has previously stated that the majority of the renewable energy generated for Southampton’s green goal would probably need to come from offshore wind power plants near Block Island, located about 14 miles east of Montauk Point. Development company Deepwater Wind may build 12 to 15 wind turbines through a project dubbed the South Fork Wind Farm.

In 2014, East Hampton Town adopted a similarly ambitious goal to “go green” by 2020 and to generate enough renewable energy to at least offset energy used for transportation and heating by 2030.