An official of East Hampton Town’s Natural Resources Department recommended to the town board on Tuesday the hiring of a consultant to develop a road map for its goal of achieving 100 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources.
The town board adopted a resolution in 2014 to meet the equivalent of 100 percent of communitywide energy consumption of electricity, heating, and transportation with renewable sources.
Samantha Klein, an environmental analyst in the Natural Resources Department, told the board that a review committee had concluded that GDS Associates, a Georgia engineering and consulting firm, “has the resources and experience to develop a roadmap that meets our goals.”
GDS Associates specializes in energy supply, use, efficiency, and transmission, as well as environmental services. Its proposal to outline the pathways and strategies needed for the town to meet its goal, for which it asks $189,800, was deemed the best of three received, Ms. Klein said.
“GDS has experience in developing renewable energy and climate action plans for other cities, mostly in California, Colorado, and North Carolina,” Ms. Klein said. “They definitely did their homework on East Hampton, though, and had a good understanding of projects and policies already completed or currently underway. Their outline of renewable energy pathways that they plan on developing strategies for will provide a very thorough and comprehensive look at renewable energy.” It would take about a year to develop, she said.
The review committee was made up of Jeanne Carroza, the town’s purchasing officer; Gordian Raacke, director of Renewable Energy Long Island; Krae Van Sickle, a member of the town’s energy and sustainability advisory committee; Natural Resources Department staff, and the town’s representative to Clean Energy Communities, a New York State program that recognizes municipalities for reducing greenhouse gases and implementing clean energy.
“I’m happy to see this going forward,” Councilwoman Sylvia Overby said.
“We’re excited to kick it off,” Ms. Klein replied.
Hiring a consultant is “a necessary next step,” said Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc. “Having that assistance in getting to where we need to go is important.”
