The Chenango County Planning and Development and the Area Agency on Aging team welcomed in the new year with new electric vehicles to support the needs of senior county residents. (Photo by Kelli Miller)

NORWICH - Chenango County welcomed in the new year with new electric vehicles (EV) to support the needs of senior county residents.

The vehicles were purchased with a grant by the county's planning and development team and will be used by the Area Agency on Aging.

One of the goals of the Chenango County 2050 Vision Plan is to promote sustainable living practices and thanks to a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities Program Grant.

Chenango County Planning and Development Director Shane Butler and his team collaborated with Chenango County Area Agency on Aging to provide four EV Subaru Solteras' for the agency's home delivered meal program and outreach services.

"Our office has been working on the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities program since around 2016 and we were certified a 'Clean Energy Community' in 2019," said Butler. "Each time we have been awarded grants through the program we have used the money towards projects that would allow us to gain additional points."

"When we found out we had met a points threshold and would be awarded $150,000 ($187,500 if the project was located in a disadvantaged community), I sent an email out to all of the department heads asking if they had any ideas for clean energy projects and listed off some options of what would be approved," he said. "And the Area Agency on Aging Director Heather Felter came by and talked to us about the vehicles."