Ari Michelson, ERS, for Zondits
In June 2017 the Clean Energy for Agriculture Task Force (CEATF), formed initially by Governor Andrew Cuomo, published a strategic plan for agriculture in New York State. The CEATF is co-managed by NYSERDA and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and is an assembly of farmers, agricultural organizations, universities, and individuals active in the state’s agricultural sector. The objective of this plan is to guide continued development and implementation of clean energy initiatives in support of the New York State Energy Plan. The agricultural sector in the Empire State contributes over $5.4 billion annually to the state economy, and there are over 35,500 farms in New York, occupying approximately 25% of the state’s area.
The strategic plan identifies 20 initiatives across the following eight distinct focus areas for agriculture:
- Continuing engagement and collaboration
- Outreach and education
- Renewable energy on farms
- Anaerobic digestion
- Farms and energy efficiency
- Controlled environment agriculture
- Clean energy financing
- Technology advancement and R&D
ERS facilitated the development of this strategic plan, leading working groups for each of the focus areas with the objective of identifying and prioritizing initiatives for inclusion in this plan.
For more details, please check out the CEATF Strategic Plan here and some related press here.