CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN DELIVERS $721,098 TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES SLASH THEIR ENERGY COSTS, PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Congressman Pat Ryan Delivers $721,098 to Help Local Businesses Slash Their Energy Costs, Promote Energy Efficiency
Ryan secured federal funds for local businesses to invest in solar arrays, biodiesel infrastructure, cutting energy costs and expanding operating capacity
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan delivered $721,098 in federal funds for local small businesses to slash their energy costs, promote energy efficiency, and expand their operating capacity. The funds will help Allstate Apple Exchange in Milton, C.R. Wolfe Heating in Middletown, Highland 9W Self Storage in Highland, and Uphill Dressage Center in Salt Point install solar arrays and save on their energy costs. Taneja & Co Holdings will use the funds to install new ethanol and biofuel storage tanks and stations, expanding the business’ operating capacity and biofuel accessibility in the Hudson Valley. The projects will employ local workers and cut greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in the Hudson Valley.
“I’m proud that these funds will provide much-needed economic relief to our small businesses - when they thrive, our entire community thrives,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “The positive impacts of these investments are felt across the Hudson Valley, from creating union jobs to reducing air pollution so kids with asthma can breathe a little easier. I’ll keep fighting every day to deliver for Hudson Valley families.”
"We are thrilled to have received the USDA REAP grant to install solar on our new controlled atmosphere apple storage facility,” said Alisha Albinder-Camac, owner and operator of Hudson River Fruit Distributors. “The building itself was built to be the most energy efficient in the market and now with solar we will be able to offset the equivalent of 106,277 pounds of waste and 15,911 gal of gasoline a year! We are committed to maintaining the most sustainable agriculture in the Hudson Valley!"
“After 70 years in the same location, the owners of C.R. Wolfe Heating Corp (CRW) chose to invest in both our company and region by building a new headquarters in Orange County,” said Tony Gasparovich, Vice President of C.R. Wolfe Heating Corp. “One of our goals was to create a clean “green” new facility. With that goal in mind, our building has low ambient, highly efficient heat pumps, energy recovery units, high efficiency boiler, high level envelope insulation and a solar array that will provide our company with all the power we will need for decades. At CRW we often take a contrarian view. We do not inherit this plant from our parents…rather we borrow its future from our children. Investing in these technologies help ensure that our children and their children will have a better place to call home. The REAP grant was a critical component in making this goal a reality.”
"Uphill Dressage Center is thrilled to be the recipient of a generous REAP grant, which will cover half the cost of installing solar panels on the roof of our equestrian center," said Elisabeth Straus, Owner and Manager of Uphill Dressage Center. "We are expecting the panels to generate enough solar energy to cover all of the building's electricity usage. The grant will lower our operating costs and help us do our part to combat the climate crisis. The Rural Energy for America program is a prime example of our federal government working to help farmers and the environment, and was made possible in part by Congressman Pat Ryan's tireless work to support agriculture and small business in the Hudson Valley, and by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act – "the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis."
The grants will help Allstate Apple Exchange in Milton, C.R. Wolfe Heating in Middletown, Highland 9W Self Storage in Highland, and Uphill Dressage Center in Salt Point each install solar arrays that will help the businesses realize up to 110% energy savings per year.
Taneja & Co Holdings will use the funds to install new ethanol and biofuel storage tanks and stations at its Tuxedo Park locations. . This project projects to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 64,133 gallons per year.
The Inflation Reduction Act provided the funding for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants awarded to the businesses. Congressman Ryan has previously secured REAP grants for other Hudson Valley small businesses, including one for Sheely’s Walden Car Wash to install a solar array. Businesses and organizations interested in learning more about funding opportunities to improve energy efficiency and lower utility costs are encouraged to reach out to Congressman Ryan’s office at (845) 443-2930 or here on his website. Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunities for homeowners and families to lower their energy bills are also available and those interested in accessing them are also encouraged to reach out to Ryan’s office.
Congressman Ryan has been a champion for programs and infrastructure projects that improve energy efficiency, recently voting against House Republicans’ numerous proposals to cut Inflation Reduction Act programs that promote energy innovation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and employ local workers. Last summer, Congressman Ryan secured Inflation Reduction Act funding for Port Jervis to employ local youths to form a Youth Tree/Green Corps and for Kingston to expand its urban forestry program. Ryan also has a record of securing federal funds for Hudson Valley communities to create jobs through climate friendly and resilient infrastructure projects, including delivering $4 million for local workers to remove the decrepit Holden Dam on the Quassaick Creek in Newburgh and the historic $21.7 million RAISE grant to help Kingston revitalize its waterfront.
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