Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined today by numerous community partners and employees from the Erie County Departments of Environment and Planning and Public Works for a celebration of the second anniversary of the Community Climate Action Plan (“CCAP”) and the release of the annual climate update. The CCAP is a vital tool that establishes the County’s path toward cutting climate-harming emissions while strengthening community resilience.
Developed through input from over 100 volunteers representing nearly six dozen organizations across Erie County, including the members of the Erie County Community Climate Change Task Force, the CCAP has helped strengthen local climate planning efforts and assisted in obtaining grants and other funding.
“Since taking office I have made it a priority of my administration to address climate issues and it’s something we have been able to accomplish,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “This work is real and significant. From decreasing Erie County’s overall carbon footprint to increasing energy efficiency wherever possible to making the county more resilient to extreme weather caused by climate change. Despite what some may believe, climate change is a legitimate concern worldwide. The Community Climate Action Plan remains a vital tool we use as a guide in helping to build a stronger, more climate-resilient Erie County. I’m proud of our accomplishments over the past two years and look forward to our collaborative community efforts in protecting our region and our planet for future generations.”
Poloncarz was joined by stakeholders from various community partner organizations, including Dr. Susan Clark, who serves as chairperson of the Community Climate Change Task Force, Erie County Department of Public Works Energy Director Reed Braman, and Erie County Department of Environment & Planning (“DEP”) Deputy Commissioner Bonnie Lawrence.
“Our work on climate action is tireless and incredibly rewarding,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner Bonnie Lawrence. “By working across departments, we are proving that climate protection and energy affordability go hand-in-hand. From lowering electric bills for thousands of families to securing our infrastructure against a changing climate, our progress is rooted in equity and innovation. We have much more to do, but the foundation we are laying with the help our stakeholders and support from critical state funding has set the stage for our continued success.”
The accomplishments and benefits of this work to date are outlined in the County’s Annual Climate Action Update, which was released today and focuses on the progress made in 2025.
Some of the highlights include:
- ECLIPSE Program: This initiative helps make electric bills more affordable and has enrolled over 2,300 low-income households in community solar, providing bill credits of up to 10%. Over the 25-year life span of these solar projects, the subscribers enrolled last year are projected to save $7.6 million while avoiding 68,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
- Building Performance Projects: The County has updated the Board of Elections building with heat pumps, which is just one of more than 160 projects and a $16 million investment undertaken in recent years to improve energy performance of the County’s buildings. These modernizations do more than just lower emissions, they address critical maintenance issues while significantly improving comfort and health for both employees and the public.
- Food Scrap Composting: The compost site established at the Alden Correctional Facility saves the Sheriff’s Office $20,000 annually by reducing waste pickups. It has now expanded to include food waste collection from other County buildings, and partnerships with municipalities to collect residential food waste.
- Community Forestry Partnership Project: Using federal funding, the Parks Department developed a salvage nursery with 500 trees and partnered with the Sheriff’s Office to provide tree care training to incarcerated individuals. This project also involves partnerships with several community organizations to plant trees in our urban communities.
The County’s climate action projects have reduced greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation and renewable energy projects, waste reduction and nature-based solutions. These initiatives have also helped the county realize financial benefits, with the County achieving $7.5 million in cost savings, $1.2 million in awards. $1 million in rebates and $23.6 million in competitive state and federal grants since 2020.
This funding is crucial to implementing the initiatives in the Community Climate Action Plan. In 2025 alone, Erie County was awarded more than $9 million in state and federal grants, including $4 million for shoreline stabilization and invasive species management, nearly $2.4 million for battery education and recycling programs, close to $1.9 million for programming to properly dispose of appliances that contain refrigerant chemicals, $767,000 for Lake Erie sub-watershed implementation plans, and $197,000 for compost site improvements at the Alden Correctional Facility.
Erie County is recognized as a climate action leader in New York State, being the only major metropolitan community to achieve 5-star status in the NYS Energy Research & Development Authority’s Clean Energy Communities program. The County has also been recognized by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Climate Smart Communities program as Silver Certified, currently the highest designation. The County leads among peer communities through its co-chairing of the Climate Action Standing Committee of the NYS Association of Counties, and leadership roles with the NY Meeting of Sustainability Staff (NY MOSS) and the NYS Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3). These roles foster shared learning and statewide collaboration to drive climate action.
For more information:
On the annual Climate Action Update and Sustainability Initiatives, visit:
https://www.erie.gov/sustainability
