When the United Nations opened its Climate Summit last week, it stated: “The science is clear. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. To achieve this outcome, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are accessible, affordable, sustainable and reliable.”
Southampton Town is to be commended, because it recognized this need and indeed has been a leader in the field of preparing for and supporting sustainable solutions to address climate change.
Southampton was one of the first municipalities in New York to be certified as a Climate Smart Community. With this designation, Southampton Town is recognized for its actions to strengthen resiliency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In March 2022, the Town Board authorized the supervisor to sign the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge Agreement which contains these two clauses:
“Whereas, the goals and objectives of the Sustainability Plan state that the town should seek to ‘become carbon neutral through a combination of conservation, efficiency and alternative energy sources’ and should pursue carbon neutrality for town facilities;
“Whereas, by Resolution 2017-475, the Town Board established an additional energy goal for the town to meet one hundred percent (100%) of the communitywide electricity consumption needs through renewable energy sources by the year 2025 …”
Following this Climate Challenge Agreement, the town embarked on creating a Climate Action Plan. In preparation for the Climate Action Plan, a survey, which over 500 residents completed, was conducted in 2022. Question 3 said, “Rank the following climate actions according to your level of interest, with the most interested at the top (No. 1),” and the top choice was “transitioning to renewable energy.”
In short, the Town of Southampton has already committed itself to this visionary and very necessary course of action, and its citizens support it. Community Choice Aggregation is without question the fastest and most cost-effective program available in New York State to access renewable electric energy supply.
The next step for the Town Board is to choose the 100 percent renewable energy power supply.
Sheila Peiffer
Southampton
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