RUPCO Community Lunch Focuses on Af­fordable, Clean and Efficient Energy

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- RUPCO CEO Kevin O’Connor said utility costs can make all the difference in whether someone can afford to live in his or her home.

"The cost of housing itself, real estate taxes and utility costs are the things that exacerbate utility costs," O'Connor said. "This time of year, as we move into the winter months, it’s a big issue."

That's why RUPCO put utility costs front and center at its annual community lunch. This year’s theme was energy efficiency. It’s something RUPCO has been working to address in many of its projects.

"The Lace Mill project, which is fantastic, it has the city of Kingston’s largest solar array, and each of the common areas in the Lace Mill is run basically off of that solar array," RUPCO Outreach Coordinator Michael D'Arcy said. "And what’s exciting that we have coming up is E Square, and that’s going to be a completely net zero building where the tenants will have no utility costs to them whatsoever."

The Energy Square project is still in its early stages, but D’Arcy said there are things any homeowner can do to cut down on utility costs.

"Retrofitting them to be more energy efficient, heating systems, dense pack cellulose insulation, the attic and wall space, spray foam and the use of LED light bulbs is super important," he said.

The keynote speaker of the event, Karen Hamilton of NYSERDA, said the key to moving energy efficiency forward is for agencies like RUPCO to work closely with community leaders to find out all of the resources available.