Linda James, chairwoman of East Hampton Town’s energy sustainability and resiliency committee, announced her resignation at the close of the committee’s Dec. 18 meeting. In the new year, Ms. James, of East Hampton Village, will join the advocacy group Renewable Energy Long Island as an associate.
“Thank you all for your commitment, talent, and desire to contribute to the great transformation our town has made to replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy resources,” she told her colleagues. “See you in January.”
Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island and a former member of the town committee, told The Star last week that Ms. James’s move was part of an expansion of RELI’s capacity to help municipalities transition to renewable energy.
“East Hampton was the first township in the state to set 100 percent community-wide renewable energy goals,” he noted. In 2014, the town set a goal to meet all of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2020, and 100-percent equivalent renewable energy in electricity, transportation, and heating fuels by 2030.
“The State of New York has now adopted similar mandates,” Mr. Raacke said. “It is clear that we must scale up and accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources and a carbon-free economy.” In July, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets the state’s goals of 70 percent of electricity derived from renewable sources by 2030 and 100-percent carbon-free electricity by 2040.
The energy sustainability committee has worked to implement East Hampton’s Energize East Hampton portfolio, which includes multiple avenues to reduce energy consumption and fossil-fuel use, such as free home energy audits, incentives to add photovoltaic panels to residential and commercial rooftops through the Solarize East Hampton program, the proposed South Fork Wind Farm, and the South Fork Peak Savers program, which offers rebates on variable-speed swimming pool pumps and free smart thermostats and LED lightbulbs.
Ms. James’s announcement followed a meeting at which the town’s 2019 accomplishments toward the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources were enumerated. These include operation of the first utility-scale battery storage facilities in the town — in Montauk and East Hampton — and the first megawatt-scale solar farm, on Accabonac Road in East Hampton, the addition of electric vehicles to the town’s fleet, and last Thursday’s town board vote to approve construction of 12 electric vehicle charging stations in Montauk. “Everyone on this committee should be impressed,” Ms. James said.
“It has been a significant opportunity for me, as a local resident, to serve the town and the energy sustainability committee,” she said, referring committee members to the 2014 resolution. Its goal, she said, “is an awesome responsibility and formidable task. In fulfilling this advisory role, the committee continues building a portfolio of public projects. As a member and chair, I have learned, working with the Department of Natural Resources’ professional staff, what public service is at its very best.”
She told her colleagues that she and Mr. Raacke “look forward to continue working with the committee in support of the town’s renewable resource goals, the East Hampton energy portfolio, and the Department of Natural Resources.”
