Clean Communities: Central Hudson

Central Hudson is seeking to collaboratively design and implement Smart Community REV demonstration projects that center on the concepts of clean transportation, green building, carbon reduction and the proliferation of building automation, heat pump and or natural gas technologies.

Projects can be located anywhere within Central Hudson’s electric and gas service territory.  Central Hudson’s territory is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the transition to low carbon fuel sources at nearly 60% of customers heat with fuel oil or propane. As new construction takes off in our area we look for new cost effective low carbon options and turnkey bundled smart home solutions for builders that don’t introduce unnecessary complexity.

It is desired that these opportunities be shovel ready and operational within 2019.

The objectives of this opportunity include:

1. Identifying a market partnership design and structure that will animate the market.
2. Identify how collaborations between the utility, market partners, and communities can create value for all stakeholders and reduce existing barriers.
3. Identify and demonstrate mechanisms that will influence building and design policies and procedures going forward to scale solutions to additional communities.

Central Hudson’s territory is home to a number of municipalities that are actively looking for ways to help their constituents save energy and money. More than half of our population heats with either fuel oil or propane so there is potential to make a significant impact on the carbon emission in our area through fuel source conversions.

Central Hudson is interested in partnerships that include the following elements:

• Business models that will animate the market for lower carbon emission home building and home improvement options;
• Collaboration between Central Hudson and market partners on identification of ideal sites for green building and building automation.
• Combined utility and 3rd party investment

The proposed solution should include elements of customer engagement, technology investment, and market animation to help achieve key REV objectives.

Successful results from this pilot will provide opportunities to bring it to scale across Central Hudson’s territory and in New York, while informing broader policy considerations around green/smart communities. Submissions have the potential to leverage the municipal portal Central Hudson is currently developing.

The Smart Communities effort will support reduced carbon emissions by collaborating with local community leaders and market partners to influence decisions regarding new construction, building upgrades, building management efficiencies and fuel switching.

Central Hudson is open to seeing pilot opportunities that support smart communities. Any technology submissions must abide by cyber security standards.