From left, Ron Kamen, Founder, EarthKind Energy Consulting; Doreen Harris, President & CEO, NYSERDA; Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins; BCW President & CEO Marsha Gordon, and BCW Executive Vice President & COO John Ravitz
Prominent clean energy leaders from Westchester County and across New York State gathered yesterday at the Clean Energy Action Conference, hosted by the Business Council of Westchester (BCW) and the Clean Energy Action Coalition (CEAC).
The half-day event at the Crotonville Conference Center in Ossining provided a platform for crucial discussions on how the region will contribute to and achieve New York’s ambitious clean energy targets.
The conference featured a keynote address by Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Harris offered valuable insights into the state’s aggressive clean energy roadmap, commending the BCW and CEAC for organizing practical dialogues focused on the tangible steps required to meet New York’s production goals.
“Your organization has taken this to a new level, and I want you to know this is a beacon for our state and something that we very much need to replicate county by county across our state,” said Harris. “It is really evident from this coalition and the very specific actions that are being taken here that you are taking (state green energy) goals and putting them into practice and that is very much what we need to be seeing across our state.”
Harris underscored New York’s leadership in clean energy, specifically citing the state’s significant achievements in solar power. She noted that New York surpassed its distributed solar production goal a year ahead of schedule, with Westchester County playing a pivotal role in this success.
“This county is a very important reason why that was possible. We are the number one community solar market in the nation for two years running. We continue to advance distributed solar projects across our state at a pace that is truly extraordinary. In fact, last year was the largest number of installations, well over a gigawatt of solar was installed in our state,” Harris added.
A gigawatt of solar power is the equivalent of half the power produced by the decommissioned Indian Point Energy Center.
Beyond the keynote address, the conference program offered a comprehensive exploration of critical clean energy topics. Presentations covered the development of a robust clean-energy workforce, strategies for enhancing electricity transmission, diverse energy production sources, successful local clean energy project case studies, the advancement of affordable green housing, sustainable public school building initiatives, the potential of biofuels, corporate campus energy efficiencies, and an in-depth analysis of local laws and regulations governing clean energy technologies.
In his welcoming remarks, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins stressed the importance of helping society embrace emerging clean energy technologies and he praised the coalition for organizing the sold-out conference that attracted more than 150 attendees.
“By powering change together, it’s going to continue to move Westchester forward,” said Jenkins, referring to the event’s slogan.
The conference served as a vital step in the inaugural year of the CEAC, which is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing energy affordability in the region. The discussions were built upon the coalition’s 2025 goals, focusing on key areas such as solar and battery storage, biofuels, green construction, and transmission improvements. With the active involvement of over 100 Westchester leaders, the CEAC is actively driving legislative frameworks and collaborative initiatives to accelerate the deployment of clean energy infrastructure.
The Clean Energy Action Conference underscored the Business Council of Westchester’s ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation, further solidifying Westchester County’s position as a leader in sustainability and a key contributor to New York State’s green energy future.
