Ithaca, NY Selects BlocPower to "Green" Entire City, First Large-Scale City Electrification Initiative in the U.S.
Program represents a major milestone in Ithaca's Green New Deal promise for carbon neutrality
Building decarbonization expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% and create 400 new jobs
NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WEB SUMMIT 2021 – BlocPower, a Brooklyn-based climate tech startup focused on greening aging urban buildings, today announced that the City of Ithaca, NY has voted to electrify and decarbonize its building stock. The contract represents the first large-scale, city-wide electrification initiative in the U.S., and a major step forward in Ithaca's plan to become carbon-neutral by 2030.
Last night, Ithaca's Common Council voted to empower Mayor Svante L. Myrick to negotiate a contract with BlocPower, which the city's Planning & Economic Development Committee unanimously approved to manage the project after ratifying the results from its Energy Efficiency Retrofitting and Thermal Load Electrification RFP on October 20.
Building electrification is a major part of Ithaca's Green New Deal, one of the most aggressive decarbonization programs in New York State. The program will benefit Ithaca residents through job creation, lower energy costs, reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and more energy-efficient homes and buildings.
BlocPower's proposal estimates that the installation of air source heat pumps paired with supporting energy efficiency upgrades and other building improvements will cut Ithaca's 400,000 tons of CO2 by 40% and create 400 new green economy construction, technology and management jobs. At the same time, it will make financing green energy upgrades affordable by providing low-cost loans to building owners, which they will pay back through the significant energy cost savings received.
"We applaud the City of Ithaca's bold vision and progressive plan to reduce fossil fuel dependency, improve the health and quality of life for its residents, embrace environmental social justice issues and fight the effects of climate change today to build a better tomorrow," said Donnel Baird, CEO and co-founder of BlocPower. "Mayor Myrick, Ithaca's Common Council and Planning & Economic Development Committee members have all demonstrated incredible leadership on this issue, and their hard work has laid the groundwork for other cities across the U.S. to follow."
"At the same time COP26 takes place in Glasgow, the City of Ithaca demonstrates its commitment to fight climate change by taking this very important step towards fully decarbonizing our building stock. Through this program, the City expects to eliminate most emissions from energy use in existing residential and commercial buildings, which today account for almost 40% of the total emissions in our city," said Savante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca, NY.
About BlocPower
BlocPower is a Brooklyn-based climate technology startup that is making American cities greener, smarter and healthier. Since its founding in 2014, the company has retrofitted more than 1,200 buildings in disadvantaged communities in New York City, with projects underway in 26 cities, including Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Oakland and more. BlocPower uses proprietary software for analysis, leasing, project management, and monitoring of clean energy projects that save customers between 20-70 percent on annual energy costs. For more information please visit https://blocpower.io.
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