Solar Pt. 2: CCAs & Community Distributed Solar

Former State Senator Jen Metzger and Red Hook Town Supervisor Robert McKeon will speak about the ins and outs of community distributed solar and community choice aggregation (CCAs). Jen also discusses the NY Stretch Building Code.

Speakers: Jen Metzger and Robert McKeon

Recorded on May 25, 2021

Jen Metzger

 Former State Senator

Jen Metzger, PhD, served in the NYS State Senate 2019-2020 and consults for Citizens for Local Power, an organization she co-founded that fights unfair utility rates and practices and helps communities shift to a locally-based clean energy economy.. 

Prior to her election to the State Senate, Senator Metzger served for over a decade in local government in the Town of Rosendale. 

In the State Senate, Senator Metzger was a leading voice for action to tackle climate change, move away from reliance on fossil fuels, and increase job-creating clean energy investments. She was an active member of the Senate’s workgroup on the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which was signed into law in July 2019, and she led efforts in the State Legislature to create a permanent ban on fracking, passed as part of the budget in 2020.

Senator Metzger also introduced a number of bills to tackle climate change and encourage clean energy investments and practices, including the Freedom from Fossil Fuels Act (banning new fossil fuel infrastructure), a package of legislation to support and expand clean transportation, a bill creating a carbon-farming tax credit to promote healthy soils and sequester carbon, legislation to reduce high utility fixed charges, and bills to improve recycling and encourage re-use.

Robert McKeon

Town Supervisor of Red Hook, NY

As Supervisor, Robert McKeon has proved his leadership in the Hudson Valley sustainability realm. Red Hook was one of the first towns to become a Clean Energy Community and a bronze certified Climate Smart Community. Red Hook has also led with its groundbreaking Community Solar Array, providing solar energy for 270 homes and all municipal buildings. Red Hook has also done Community Choice Aggregation (in cooperation with 6 other Hudson Valley municipalities) and is looking towards micro-grids in the future. 

Robert, his wife who is a doctor, and their children relocated to Red Hook from Brooklyn in 1998. They live on a 500 acre farm where they raise grass fed beef, goats, llamas, and horses. Robert entered the municipal scene with an innovative action in 2003, when he spearheaded a public referendum to create a real estate transfer fee to be able to fund the purchase of farms' development rights. 83% of voters approved. In 2007, he was named a Hudson Valley Hero by Scenic Hudson for his work. Over 35 properties and 4000 acres of preserved farmland join other open space easements in the Township, a topic Local Champions explored on May 20th.