Community DevelopmentEconomic DevelopmentNews

MAYVILLE, N.Y.: — The Chautauqua County Energy Commission (The Commission) presented the Chautauqua County Energy Reference Guide to the Chautauqua County Legislature at their monthly meeting held on September 28, 2022 in the Legislative Chambers.

Formed in the summer of 2021 through Chautauqua County Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon’s leadership, the Commission was assembled with the objective of assessing the ever-changing energy landscape and sharing findings with Chautauqua County leadership and other county stakeholders. Members include representatives from local energy utilities, energy businesses, and other business sectors.  The commission members currently include Ken Lawton, Hans Auer, Dennis Elsenbeck, Martin Glose, Shelly Spacht, Todd Hanson, and Kris Sellstrom.

“The Commission thanks County Executive PJ Wendel, Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon, and Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCIDA CEO Mark Geise, for their support of this initiative,” said Ken Lawton, Energy Commission Chair. “Additionally, the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development’s leadership made this end product possible – with special thanks to Lauren Sharp and Courtney Domst.”

The Commission, in collaboration with the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development (CCDPD), has launched an online Energy Reference Guide (Guide).  The Guide was developed for the purpose of providing stakeholders with an overview of the current and ever-changing energy landscape and to provide easy access to reference information.

“The Energy Commission was formed in response to the increased activity associated with energy-related legislation and projects,” said Chagnon. “I am confident that this resource guide will prove useful to the public, decision-makers, and key stakeholders as they make important energy-related decisions that are bound to have long-term implications.”

The Guide, which is by no means an all-inclusive resource, is in fact quite thorough and is intended to provide stakeholders, decision-makers, and the public with the resources they need to navigate the complexities of the energy environment from all points of view.

“I am thrilled that the work of the Energy Commission lead to this incredible resource,” said Wendel. “It is important that we have a place where we can go, at the click of a mouse, to do research on any given subject related to energy. I applaud the Legislature, the Energy Commission, and the County’s Department of Planning & Development for all of their hard work.”

The Guide is organized into seven user friendly categories: Outreach & Education; Legislation & State Goals; Resiliency & Sustainability; Resources for Residents; Business Development; Clean Energy Technology & Infrastructure; and Clean Energy Articles & Miscellaneous.  These main categories are further divided into subcategories to help guide the user through different green energy topics. Whether you are a homeowner looking for home energy system information, a business seeking information on energy incentives, or a municipality needing resources to update your zoning code, the Guide is a useful resource for accessing information about clean energy from many different perspectives.

The Chautauqua County Energy Reference Guide is available on the CCDPD’s website at https://planningchautauqua.com/resources/chautauqua-county-energy-reference-guide/

For more information on the Reference Guide, please contact Courtney Domst at (716) 336-3623 or domstc@chqgov.com.