Save Energy & Money: Call for Tax Incentives on Geothermal Heat Pumps in the NYS Budget

Message from Bill Nowak,
Executive Director, NY-GEO.org

Dear Friends,

This is it. Can you help one more time?

The Assembly and Senate have included the 25% (up to $5k) geothermal tax credit and the sales tax exemption in their proposed 2016-2017 budgets. 

 The budget is scheduled to be approved by April 1. Things are fast and furious in Albany right now in negotiations between the legislature and the governor’s office.  The instinct to preserve state revenues is engaging in hand to hand combat with the instinct to help the environment and people of New York during this budget process.

 We can win this one or we can lose it and NY-GEO is leaving no stone unturned.

 PLEASE HELP US TODAY – We need you to take 2 easy steps:

1. Please call Governor Cuomo at 518-474-8390 - press 2 to leave a message or 3 to speak with an aide.  See below for both short and long sample messages.

 A sample short message for the phone:

Please include BOTH the geothermal tax credit (S 6249) and sales tax exemption (S6250) in the final 2016-17 budget.  Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) cut greenhouse gases, save New Yorkers money and create green jobs.  These incentives would give GHPs parity with Solar PV.

2. Then send an email message to the Governor's aides and the legislative leaders who are negotiating the budget:

NY State Tax Incentives to Heat and Cool Homes Efficiently using Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal heat pumps use the constant below-ground temperature to heat and cool homes.

Geothermal heat pumps provide a clean and efficient way to heat homes and buildings in winter and cool them in summer. Importantly, they also have much lower operating costs as compared to furnaces, electric heaters and air conditioners -- save energy and save money!

The potential for widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps in New York was recently boosted by the passage of bills in the State Senate and Assembly.

• Senate Bill S2905 and Assembly Bill A2177a establish a 25% tax credit (up to $5000) for the purchase and installation of geothermal energy systems.

• Senate Bill S4279 and Assembly Bill A5508 provide a tax exemption for the sale and installation of residential and commercial geothermal heat pump systems equipment.

Final approval of these important pieces of legislation is now in the hands of Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

Assemblyman Sean Ryan and Senator Robert Ortt will hold a press conference (Tuesday, June 30th,  12:30PM at 10 Winter St., Buffalo - Map) to call on Governor Cuomo to sign the bills in to law.

TAKE ACTION: Call Governor Cuomo's office urging him to sign into law these important bills that will make geothermal heat pumps more affordable, and will lead to lower energy usage and lower energy bills.
Call 518-474-8390 -- You'll hear a recording: Press 2 to leave your message, or press 3 to speak with a person.

For a detailed description and video on how geothermal heat pumps work, visit the U.S. Dept. of Energy website.

A short description of how the heat pumps work along with a hat tip to the NY legislation is provided in a recent Letter to the Editor of The Buffalo News:
Cuomo could make NY a leader in geothermal energy

Buffalo: Big Potential to go Green

The Partnership for the Public Good, led by UB Law Professor Sam Magavern, has documented thoughtful recommendations for Greening the City of Buffalo. The Partnership acknowledges that Buffalo has big problems, but it foresees an even bigger potential for positive change. Recommendations cover wide-ranging topics including sustainability, economic development, transportation, water, green spaces, buildings, energy, food, recycling, tax incentives, and education. Documents prepared by the group are available on the Web and include an Executive Summary and Recommendations, and the full document, Greening Buffalo: What Local Governments Can Do. Additional documents are available at the group's Wiki Space, Partnership for the Public Good.

The Partnership recommends forming a coalition of interested groups with a unified annual platform for change and a set of sustainability targets and measures to hold the public sector accountable. For further information, e-mail Sam Magavern at the University at Buffalo Law School.

In the NEWS 4/25

Solar-energy systems exempted from sales tax
by Matthew Spina
NY State and Erie County will not charge sales tax on the purchase and installation of residential solar-energy systems. Other incentives include state energy grants, property tax exemptions for structural improvements, and the ability to sell surplus electricity to local utility companies. To read the report, click here.

Home grown wind power
What are the options for using a small windmill to produce electricity at home? To find out, click here. See also Wind Power for Homes in the Side Panel for links to further information.
Bill Nowak from the Wind Action Group recommends the following local contacts involved in small wind installations:
Richard Meyers at: somersetnrg@adelphia.net
Amherst company, Greennorth: info@greennorth.com
Lake Effect Energy, c/o Dave Bradley: tantalum73@verizon.net

Expanded Metro Rail offers many benefits
by Joseph H. Radder
"Electrified inter-city rail and electric intra-city light-rail rapid transit will take millions of cars off the road and, in time, save billions of gallons of oil, not to mention the dramatic reduction in air pollution." Click here.

We need to act now to save our planet
by Louis DeRosa
"When will we, as a collective, make the decision to save our own lives and the lives of future generations?" Click here.