Renewable energy fundraiser

The bright side of the bailout

By FRITZ MAYER

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, NY — Dick Riseling is generally a fairly serious guy, especially when appearing in public and talking about his passion, renewable energy. So it was not unusual that when he spoke at a fundraiser for the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development (SASD) on October 5 about the Wall Street bailout, newly signed by the President, he called it a “horrible” bill.

But when he talked about one of the bill’s provisions, which was attached in an effort to gain more support from lawmakers, Riseling spoke with an emotion approaching glee. The legislation contains provisions that extend tax credits for solar-energy projects for eight years and promote other forms of renewable energy.

Until the bailout bill passed, it seemed that the renewable-energy tax credits, which were set to expire at the end of the year, might not be renewed because of squabbling in Washington.

Riseling and SASD have recently made “serious” gains in bringing solar installations to Sullivan County. The group has been instrumental in starting the process to bring solar installations to six farms in Sullivan County. Riseling said that all six farms have been funded by both the USDA and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Statewide, only 14 farms have applied for this kind of installation, which puts Sullivan County in the forefront of mixing agriculture and renewable energy.

Riseling also mentioned some of the other SASD projects, such as the solar initiative in the Town of Callicoon, which, if all goes as planned, will see the town hall become the first in the state to have a zero carbon footprint, or a 100 percent supply of electric consumption for both town hall and town garage supplied by solar electric power.

The keynote speaker was Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who was equally chagrinned by the passing of the bailout and equally enthused by the inclusion of renewable energy tax incentives in the bill. Hinchey heaped praise on SASD and their efforts to bring renewable energy into commission at the community level.

He said that while it is important that the country move in that direction, “there will be a lot of resistance from organizations that are focused on fossil fuels.”

At this event, however, it was clear that among the 100 or so people who turned out to show support for SASD, including nearly a dozen county and town officials, there was a strong inclination to increasingly look to solar, wind and geothermal as the best ways to power the future.