Sarah Burger
Sustainability Planning Manager
Who is PUSH for Clean Heat?
PUSH for Clean Heat, a community-based outreach, and education campaign centered around helping residents and businesses in Erie County reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions and install energy efficient equipment. As a campaign led by PUSH Buffalo, Push for Clean Heat will encourage the adoption of home energy efficiency and home improvements measures, heat pump water heaters (“HPWHs”), air-source heat pumps (“ASHP”), and ground-source heat pumps (“GSHP”).
Why is clean heat important?
Heating and cooling accounts for around 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in New York State. Greenhouse gas (GHG) are gases that absorb and trap heat in the atmosphere. The main GHGs are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour.
How do we increase clean heating in Western NY?
As a campaign under New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Push for Clean Heats‘ goal is to educate residents and businesses to improve their energy efficiency and comfort, while transitioning from gas, and connect people with available financial incentives. In doing this we can help in accelerating the transition from the use of fossil fuels. New York’s ambition to achieve 100% carbon free electricity by the year 2040.
Our goals
- Outreach to homeowners and building stakeholders on clean heating and cooling technologies and incentives.
- Create workforce development opportunities in Clean Heating and Cooling, and connect people with those opportunities.
- Identify financial support opportunities for low and moderate income households to install heat pumps in their homes.
What is Clean Heat?
Clean Heat is energy efficient heating that does not rely on fossil fuels. Right now, the best technology to provide heating without gas, oil or propane are heat pumps, mainly air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps.
Transitioning to energy efficient electric heat can help make the air in your home healthier. We know that whenever fossil fuel is burned, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide and particulates are released into the air. By switching your heating system to a heat pump, you can reduce the amount of pollution in your home. Since most of our time is spent indoors, its vital to have healthy indoor air.
Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA)
In 2019, New York State passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). One major goal of this legislation is for the state to use 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. This goal requires change at the generation, distribution and building levels, that will need to be completed gradually, over the next twenty years.
As part of this effort, existing buildings will have their systems converted to electric systems, and new buildings will be built without gas lines. This means that as there are less participants paying into the gas infrastructure, maintenance and costs will be split among a smaller amount of people, costing participants more. Many of our homes and commercial buildings are heated using gas, propane or oil. Heat pumps can provide space heating and cooling using electricity.
About NYSERDA
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, known as NYSERDA, promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. These efforts are key to developing a less polluting and more reliable and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. Collectively, NYSERDA’s efforts aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate economic growth, and reduce customer energy bills.
This NYSERDA funded project aims to work with different stakeholders to increase the adoption of clean heating and cooling technologies. Through this community campaign, we want to make it easier and affordable for residents and businesses to improve their energy efficiency and comfort. We also want accelerate transition away from fossil fuel-based heating and cooling technologies and key into New York’s ambition to achieve 100% zero emission electricity by the year 2040.
About PUSH
PUSH for Clean Heat is a project between PUSH Buffalo and NYSERDA.
Aaron Bartley and Eric Walker founded PUSH in 2005. PUSH Buffalo was established to: create strong neighborhoods with quality affordable housing; decrease the rate of housing abandonment by reclaiming empty houses from neglectful public and private owners and redeveloping them for occupancy by low-income residents; and develop neighborhood leaders capable of gaining community control over the development process and planning for the future of the neighborhood.
Beliefs
- Real people have real power.
- We know what we want where we live.
- We deserve a seat at the table.
- When turning our neighborhoods around, we are all in this together.
- When we show up in big numbers, people listen.
Values
- Member Involvement – We base our decisions on member participation and consideration of alternatives.
- Inclusiveness – We encourage a diversity of opinions.
- Ownership – We take advantage of opportunities to create and control community resources.
- Results Oriented – Our plan is an accomplishment – we have outlined a series of measurable goals and outcomes that will ultimately lead to results.
- Relevant – We will respond to changing political and social climates by evaluating trends that are prevalent to the goals and objectives of our organization.
- Justice – We are committed to promoting social justice that gives real power to real people.
Goals
- Create strong neighborhoods.
- Develop neighborhood leaders.
- Decrease the rate of housing abandonment.
- Create a solar future independent from utilities.
Strategies
- Build a more democratic, action-orientated organization that addresses poor housing conditions and the lack of living wage jobs in our neighborhoods.
- Decrease the rate of housing abandonment by reclaiming properties from neglectful public and private owners and redeveloping them for occupancy.
- Lead direct action campaigns against corporations and government agencies whose practices contribute to the high poverty rate in our community.
- Create a replicable model of grassroots neighborhood organizing and redevelopment that can be deployed in other low-income communities throughout the Rust Belt.
- Real people have real power.
- We know what we want where we live.
- We deserve a seat at the table.
- When turning our neighborhoods around, we are all in this together.
- When we show up in big numbers, people listen.
- Member Involvement – We base our decisions on member participation and consideration of alternatives.
- Inclusiveness – We encourage a diversity of opinions.
- Ownership – We take advantage of opportunities to create and control community resources.
- Results Oriented – Our plan is an accomplishment – we have outlined a series of measurable goals and outcomes that will ultimately lead to results.
- Relevant – We will respond to changing political and social climates by evaluating trends that are prevalent to the goals and objectives of our organization.
- Justice – We are committed to promoting social justice that gives real power to real people.
- Create strong neighborhoods.
- Develop neighborhood leaders.
- Decrease the rate of housing abandonment.
- Create a solar future independent from utilities.
- Build a more democratic, action-orientated organization that addresses poor housing conditions and the lack of living wage jobs in our neighborhoods.
- Decrease the rate of housing abandonment by reclaiming properties from neglectful public and private owners and redeveloping them for occupancy.
- Lead direct action campaigns against corporations and government agencies whose practices contribute to the high poverty rate in our community.
- Create a replicable model of grassroots neighborhood organizing and redevelopment that can be deployed in other low-income communities throughout the Rust Belt.
