Supervisor Bellone was joined by LIPA Chairman Kevin Law, the Center for Working Families, the Plumbers Union Local 200, Western Suffolk BOCES, the Green Living Expo Organization, the Neighborhood Network, the Sierra Club, the US Green Building Council, LI Green and Energy Auditor Rich Manning to announce one of the most innovative green home programs in the country.  
            
 
            
Under the Long Island Green Homes Program residents can make energy efficient improvements to their homes at little or no cost and without assuming new debt. This innovative new program will help combat global warming by reducing carbon emissions by 65,000-130,000 tons, reduce energy costs for homeowners and create 6,600 new green collar jobs.
            
 
            
Most homes, even newer construction, have been built without much consideration for conserving energy. The average home is leaking considerable amounts of energy on a daily basis which in turn means that homeowners are  wasting money. With energy costs at all time highs, especially on Long Island, homeowners can no longer afford to waste energy. Under the Long Island Green Homes Program the average resident will reduce their energy costs by $1,160 a year. 
            
 
            
The average home in Babylon is responsible for the emission of approximately 25 lbs. of carbon per day.  In Babylon, there are more than 65,000 single family homes emitting 1.6 million lbs of carbon on a daily basis. Babylon’s Long Island Green Homes Program will reduce the carbon footprint of each participating household by 20-40% taking an average of 1-2 tons of carbon out of the atmosphere a year.    
            
 
            
One of the innovative approaches of the program is a new definition of solid waste to include carbon. The additional emissions of carbon and other substances into the atmosphere that results from inefficient and leaky houses is not only wasteful but causes significant environmental harm to the town as a whole. The Town will schedule a public hearing on June 25th to consider the expansion of the Residential Solid Waste District to include carbon. The hearing will be held at Town Hall on July 15, at 10:00am in the Town Board Room. 
            
 
            
“With record high energy costs for residents and the threat to our planet from global warming it is now an economic and moral imperative for local governments to implement programs that will reduce the energy waste from existing homes,” said Supervisor Bellone. 
            
 
            
This program is intended to serve as a model for municipalities on the local, state and national level. “When you consider the amount of energy being consumed in our single family homes the potential positive impact of programs like this on our economy and our environment is huge,” said Supervisor Bellone. 
            
 
            
This LI Green Homes Program is a key initiative of the Town of Babylon’s soon to be released Climate Protection and Sustainability Plan which will outline measures to reduce emissions in Babylon 12% by the year 2012.  In the Town of Babylon, Clean Energy initiatives have continued to be at the forefront of policy decisions. Under Supervisor Bellone’s leadership, the Town has embarked upon several innovative initiatives (see appendix A) to protect our environment. 
            
 
            
LIPA President and CEO, Kevin Law recently released Efficiency Long Island, one of the largest and most ambitious programs in the nation to provide rebates and incentives to make homes more energy efficient “This initiative dovetails perfectly with LIPA’s own ambitious Efficiency Long Island program and will make it easier for Babylon residents to avail themselves of the full array of LIPA incentive programs for energy efficiency, which not only reduces emissions, but lowers customers’ bills,” said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law.  “The Town of Babylon, under the leadership of Supervisor Bellone, was the first Long Island township to require that new home construction be built to ENERGY STAR® standards – and they are now the first to provide financing enabling their residents to retrofit exiting homes to be as energy efficient as they can be.”
            
 
            
“Greening New York’s housing stock not only helps fight climate change but good public policy can create thousands of family supporting jobs,” said Emmaia Gelman, Senior Policy Organizer of the Center for Working Families. Babylon is taking a big step today for the environment; simple and cheap for Long Islanders to green up their homes.”
            
 
            
In addition to the initiation of the Long Island Green Homes Program, the Town of Babylon is collaborating with educational institution, BOCES, to create a training program for Energy Auditors.  “There are very few trained professionals to conduct home energy audits,” said Supervisor Bellone.  “We need to provide the necessary training in this green collar job market to fulfill the dearth that currently exists.” “As an organization whose primary role is to provide continuing education and training for Long Islanders, we are pleased to collaborate with the Town of Babylon in an effort to address the need for additional technical training and professional development in the green collar job market,” said Michael Mensch, Deputy Superintendent of Western Suffolk BOCES.  
            
 
            
The Town is also working closely with Plumbers Union Local 200 to provide the training necessary to perform some of the energy efficient improvements under the program. Local 200 Organizer, Art Gipson stated, “The Plumbers Union Local 200 will develop the specific training programs needed for plumbing technicians to be able to install and service the newest energy efficient systems.”
            
 
            
Neal Lewis, Executive Director, of the Neighborhood Network has been a leader in promoting the development and adoption of renewable energy initiatives. The Neighborhood Network has been the driving force behind the adoption of Energy Star standards for new home construction by municipalities across Long Island beginning with the Town of Babylon in August of 2006. “In keeping my ear to the pulse of Long Islanders, many desire to protect the environment and reduce their energy costs,” said Neal Lewis.  “However, issues such as finding qualified professionals and obtaining access to capital make it extremely difficult for Long Islanders to participate in retrofitting their homes.  I applaud the Town of Babylon for creating a program which allows residents to find qualified professionals as well as provide capital for residents to complete the energy saving upgrades to their homes.”
            
 
            
In 2006, The Town of Babylon was named one of America’s “Cool Cities” by the Sierra Club.  The Town of Babylon received this recognition based on the town’s commitment to combat global warming by reducing carbon emissions 7% by the year 2015.  The Town of Babylon took on a more aggressive position and committed to reducing carbon emissions 12% by the year 2012. The Cool Cities campaign empowers city residents and local leaders to join and encourage their cities to implement smart energy solutions to save money and build a cleaner, safer future. “The Sierra Club would like to personally thank Supervisor Bellone and Dorian Dale for this unprecedented funding mechanism, said Frank Morris, Chairman of the Sierra Club Long Island Chapter. “Saving money and promoting energy efficiency is good for the environment.”
            
 
            

            
 
            
In December 2006, The Town of Babylon adopted the most comprehensive Green Building Code in the nation, requiring all commercial and industrial buildings over 4,000 sq ft. to be meet the US Green Building Council’s LEED Certified standard. The Town of Babylon collaborated on the development of the code which has drawn interest from numerous municipalities across the country. Babylon and the US Green Building Council have also collaborated on many initiatives to promote green building and to provide training for LEED certified inspectors. “The Long Island chapter of the U.S. Green Building council is very excited about joining the Town of Babylon in it's Long Island Green Homes Program, said Art Deisin, Vice President of the Long Island Chapter of the US Green Building Council. “In conjunction with the USGBC's LEED for Homes program, the adoption of these practices is important to the long term wellbeing of our communities. With Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone leading the charge, we support your work and are proud to partner in the "Greening of Long Island".