About AMPED
Our purpose is to help make the Genesee-Finger Lakes region healthier, more efficient, and more resilient by supporting our community’s transition to vehicles and buildings powered by carbon-free electricity.
One of the best ways to address climate change is to reduce pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. The majority of local emissions come from the systems we use to heat and cool buildings and the vehicles we all use to get around. So we can save money, saves energy, and saves our planet by becoming an electric-powered community. We do this through a partnership of 20+ organizations across the public and private sectors, aligned around supporting an equitable transition to clean energy.
Whether you care about a resilient economy, public health, lower utility bills, sustainable businesses, or quality housing - there’s something to gain from going all electric.
Why this is a local issue.
Climate change affects our region in so many ways, including more severe and more frequent extreme weather events, food insecurity, the spread of diseases, poor indoor and outdoor air quality, toxic algae blooms, and damage to property.
We recognize that climate change is a global issue that Rochester cannot address on its own. Our air quality, for example, is influenced by neighboring regions and extreme weather is out of our direct control.
But there are ways in which we can have a direct, positive impact on the health and well-being of our community by transitioning to carbon-free electricity. Here are some of our area’s specific issues and opportunities:
Regional climate impacts, from the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region’s Climate Action Strategy.
Our Evolution
The Climate Solutions Accelerator approached Causewave Community Partners in December 2018 to develop a community impact initiative focused on eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the effects of climate change.
In 2020, Our Theory of Change identified that moving our region to an all-electric energy model is the most impactful way to achieve these goals. The portion of the grid that includes Upstate NY is the cleanest in the nation - 91% fossil fuel free (NYISO). Each time we plug in to the electric grid rather than fossil fuels, we get the benefit of all that clean energy.
AMPED began providing resources to organizations and institutions in 2021, with a rich series of free webinars, a website packed with tools, and local case studies showing that this transition was not only possible, but already happening in our area.
Fall of 2023 marks an expansion of the campaign’s focus to the residential sector in partnership with the Finger Lakes Regional Clean Energy Hub, led by the Climate Solutions Accelerator. This NYSERDA program aims to increase residential and small business access to clean energy technology and brings over $3.8 million in resources including customized community outreach, one-on-one energy advisor consultations, and innovative local pilot projects.
While achieving 100% usage of carbon-free electricity is not a likely outcome in the short term, “Go All Electric” provides a north star approach to our work.
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Climate change disproportionately affects people living in poverty through higher financial energy burden and greater vulnerability during extreme weather events.
For very low-income households in New York State, the average energy burden is 19.4% of household income, as compared to 6.4% for moderate-income households [1]. A heat pump can lower winter heating costs for those who currently heat with oil, propane or electric resistance, and double as a cooling system in the summer. More efficient, carbon-free electricity powered homes can result in an increase in the affordability of basic needs, though policies and incentives will be necessary to transition lower-income households to modern, efficient electric technologies. The recently passed NY Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act directs the state to identify the barriers to access to renewable energy resources and energy efficiency for low-to-moderate-income households and environmental justice communities and make recommendations to increase access. It mandates at least 40% of the state’s energy funds (RGGI, Clean Energy Fund, etc.) are to be utilized to the direct benefit of low-to-moderate-income households and environmental justice communities.[2] Several communities in Monroe County qualify for this support, including neighborhoods in the city of Rochester that have high concentrations of poverty.
Low-income households are less likely to have central A/C. Higher crime rates, violence, less physical activity and health issues are associated with heat. The urgent need for access to cool spaces was made clear through a recent box fan distribution for low income seniors. Lifespan ran out of fans after giving away more than 600 in a single day. Heat pump technology eliminates this disparity as air conditioning is generated through the same unit that generates heat.
[2] New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, July 2019
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Rising temperatures exacerbate the harmfulness of air pollutants. Between 2011-2013, the City of Rochester had a rate of 160 emergency department visits for asthma per 10,000 population (all ages), nearly 60% higher than the NYS rate (including NYC).[3] That rate for ages 0-4 is 379, nearly double the NYS rate. Given the City’s demographic composition, this represents a higher health burden on people of color and on people with lower incomes. Air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is a key contributor to chronic respiratory illnesses like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD. Reducing emissions through electrification should improve local air quality and result in better health, fewer missed work and school days, lower healthcare costs, and a better quality of life.
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An electricity-powered home is safer and healthier because there is no combustion at all inside the home. Homes using fossil fuels generate carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete combustion, one example being stove pilot lights. Whether burning natural gas, coal, kerosene, propane or wood in a furnace, fireplace, dryer or stove, CO poses a risk. While CO detectors protect against lethal levels of CO, sublethal levels can go undetected creating health threats. Low levels of CO are hard to quantify and link directly to health outcomes, but the risk of CO poisoning is completely eliminated when homes are powered by electricity. Eliminating combustion in the home can also reduce particulate matter and other harmful gases that affect the heart and lungs, sometimes with serious long-term health impacts. Electric-powered homes also remove the risks of a natural gas leak or explosion. Many of the electric stoves manufactured today include a 600ºF cap to minimize the risk of grease fires. Lastly, electric vehicles eliminate the risk of CO poisoning from cars that are parked and running in a confined space.
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Heat pump technology for both heating and A/C is more efficient than traditional units. Although installation costs are generally more expensive, ground source heat pumps are up to 65% more efficient than traditional HVAC units and pay themselves back over time in energy savings—typically within 10 years [4]. Technology and scale will continue to drive heat pump prices down making the payback period even shorter. Conservation and weatherization efforts that would accompany the transition to electrification of homes and businesses would benefit all audiences, immediately.
[4] “5 Things You Should Know About Geothermal Heat Pumps”, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, August 2017
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Transitioning our community to carbon-free electricity will create local jobs and drive economic investment. Work needed to transition to carbon-free infrastructure will create jobs in a myriad of areas. Workers will be needed to upgrade the efficiency of our buildings, install electric vehicle charging stations, and build new solar and wind farms. As good environmental stewardship becomes the norm, more and more people will endeavor to patronize businesses employing sustainable practices. The faster companies evolve with this trend, the more they will be rewarded by the increasing population of people who value sustainability. As more businesses, organizations, and individuals are looking to be good climate citizens, a region aligned with carbon-free power has the potential to attract them.
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National recognitions continue to pour in for the Finger Lakes region, from top wine, spirits and craft beer awards to distinction as a “best place to bike” to leadership in advanced manufacturing, photonics and optics, to a higher-ed hub, complete with 19 colleges and universities. Beneficial electrification supports all of these distinctions, and positions the Finger Lakes as a pristine region, attractive as a place to live, work and play.
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The CLCPA requires significant changes in all NY communities in order to achieve the goals set forth in the legislation. The most efficient way to achieve the mandated 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is a large-scale conversion to electricity, due to the degree to which the electric grid is already decarbonized. New electricity demands must also be met with new renewable generation. Our work will help our area comply with the legislation requirements.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy praised the City of Rochester for its recent efforts on the Sustainable Homes Rochester and bike share programs. However, they ranked the City 58th out of 75 US cities on the Clean Energy Scorecard [5]. The Scorecard, using information collected as of April 1, 2019, ranks cities in five policy areas:
Local government operations
Community-wide initiatives
Buildings policies
Energy and water utilities
Transportation policies
This initiative can make significant progress in closing gaps in each of their five categories.
[5] The American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Rochester scorecard, July 2019