Residents of the Town of Newfield have a new source of support for making energy improvements to their homes. Thanks to the impressive generosity of a local donor, Sustainable Tompkins has a pool of funding reserved just for the people of Newfield to help them reduce their fossil fuel consumption.The funding is available as two new grant awards from our Finger Lakes Climate Fund. These grants of up to $2,500 help modest-income households commit to a work scope of energy improvements to their home. Newfield households with less than the county’s median income will qualify for the grant awards, but application must be done through certified contractors for the Home Performance Program of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Participating local firms include Energy Tec, Snug Planet, and Tompkins Community Action.

Sustainable Tompkins created the Finger Lakes Climate Fund in 2010 to give residents a way to offset their carbon emissions locally. The Climate Fund works to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy projects while strengthening our regional economy and assisting local families in need. Individuals and organizations support the Fund by taking responsibility for their unavoidable carbon emissions and offsetting them locally. Donors calculate the carbon dioxide emissions from their travel or building use, and make a donation equivalent to those emissions at the rate of $20/ton CO2.

Sustainable Tompkins uses those funds to award grants to offset an equivalent amount of CO2 by paying for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements that would not otherwise be possible in low to moderate-income households in our community. These grants help pay for insulation, air sealing, energy efficient heating equipment, and other upgrades to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. They have awarded five grants to a variety of household types in Dryden, Lansing, Enfield, and the City and Town of Ithaca.

Interested Newfield residents can contact local energy businesses or email info@sustainabletompkins.org to learn more.