Explore Photos and Stories of PCA’s Building Decarbonization Grantees
PCA hired local documentary photographer Richard Beaven to take portraits of the librarians, municipal officials, community leaders, scientists, and volunteers in the buildings they’ve worked to transform. These leaders are frequently unsung. Here, we shine a light on them and the often invisible work of climate transition in the Hudson Valley.
These important spaces for children, community members, and workers house the gatherings and service work that underlie community resilience. Despite this crucial role, structures are often unhealthy and costly to run. The images below portray life within these renewed buildings where inhabitants now feel comfortable in the extremes of summer and winter, breathe healthier air, and enjoy services paid for with money saved from lower energy bills.
Old Dutch Church
Kingston, Ulster County
Pastor Robert Sweeney and Rev. Liz Estes
New York has some of the oldest, most historic building stock in the nation. It can be challenging to retrofit these structures and make them energy efficient. The Old Dutch Church, which has “old” in its name, is looking to the future and strategically replacing outdated systems.
Old Dutch Church:
$20,000 grant
Energy study & energy efficiency project to insulate heating pipes
Future: heat pumps in the Sanctuary
“The insulation in the boiler room and pipes has made such a difference it is almost unbelievable! I know we created a healthier, more efficient environment for the humans that dwell inside the church building and hopefully have done something good for the Earth.”
—Pastor Robert Sweeney
Hudson River Housing
Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County
The Willis Family
The Hudson Valley is currently in a housing crisis. PCA believes affordable housing should be green, which helps to keep carrying costs low for families and improves air quality.
Hudson River Housing:
$100,000
Estimated 300 metric tons of CO2e annually diverted for the entire scope
Solar panels on Hudson River Lodging as part of a larger green retrofit of transitional housing for families in need
Christa Hines, President & CEO
"Hudson River Housing exists to improve lives and communities. Incredible opportunities like the funding provided by Partners for Climate Action allow us to realize our full vision: our passion for improving lives as well as our commitment to safeguard and steward our community's natural resources.”
—Christa Hines
Germantown
Columbia County
Matthew Mercier,
Climate Smart Volunteer
Much of the work of a municipality’s climate transition falls to unpaid volunteers and short-staffed local governments. Without their leadership and the labor of municipal workers none of this happens.
Town of Germantown:
$5000
Energy studies for municipal buildings including the Town’s Highway Garage, pictured here
“We do this work not only for our community, but for future Germantown residents and all of those who love the Hudson Valley as much as we do. That may sound like a trite cliche full of empty optimism, but the work of community needs to be optimistic and forward looking.”
—Matthew Mercier
Village of Catskill
Greene County
“I worry about climate change a lot. So it's been a huge relief to learn how our village can dramatically reduce fossil fuel emissions from our municipal buildings.”
—Margaret Tomlinson, Climate Smart Volunteer
Whenever possible, PCA pairs our grants with NY State funds, which often require a match, a frequent blocker for small towns. The Village of Catskill was able leverage NY State funding sources along with PCA’s grant to complete energy studies for all of their municipal buildings.
Village of Catskill:
$5000
Energy studies for municipal buildings
City of Poughkeepsie
Dutchess County
PCA surpassed our goal of 40% of funding going to Disadvantaged Communities, with over 60% of building decarbonization funds awarded to DACs.
Poughkeepsie’s City Hall is an enormous, dated building—the center of civic life, a place where community groups meet, and residents get married.
City of Poughkeepsie:
$5000
Energy study of City Hall
Future: city planners use this data-driven tool to evaluate next steps
Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers
“The city recognizes the dangers associated with climate change and the need to take decisive action to lower our emissions and create healthy spaces for the community. We are a proud member of the New York State Climate Smart Communities program, which recognizes the accomplishments of local governments that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and responding to climate change impacts, such as flooding and extreme heat. We also are looking to address energy efficiencies in City Hall and have spent millions of dollars in recent years on our parks system to create vibrant open spaces for children and their families.”
—Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers
Oakwood Community Center
Troy, Rensselaer County
Disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of the climate crisis, with higher rates of asthma and other health impacts, as well as high energy bills for heating and cooling buildings. Oakwood Community Center needed heat pumps to be able to offer youth programs as well as practice and performance space to musicians throughout the year.
Oakwood Community Center:
$10,000
Upgrades to their electrical system enabling them to install heat pumps
Future: More funding is required to tighten up the building's envelope
Shanna Goldman, Executive Director
Putnam Valley Library
Putnam Valley, Putnam County
Amina Chaudhri, Library Director
A public library is a place for connection and learning—these days, that can mean learning about the transition to renewables and energy efficient homes.
Putnam Valley Library:
$20,922
Estimated 25 metric tons of CO2e avoided annually
Insulation & heat pumps
Future: Pursuing grants for insulation in the community room
“We connected with Sustainable Putnam and hosted an event with an Energy Coach who met with people one-on-one.”
—Amina Chaudhri
Hyde Park Library
Hyde Park, Dutchess County
Public libraries in small towns represent some of the few civic spaces in the Hudson Valley that are open and free to all. These need to be comfortable, welcoming places.
Hyde Park Library:
$12,000
Engineering/design study and grant-writing assistance, as the library will need extensive renovations and new fossil-fuel-free HVAC systems.
“Once complete, this upgrade will represent a significant improvement to the library's energy efficiency and conservation. What's more, the library will not only be a pleasant refuge for visitors, but a safe and comfortable environment for the staff who work so hard to make it an inviting space. ”
—Lisa Palmer, Library Director
Richard Mattocks, Climate Smart Volunteer
Lynn Ruggiero, President of the Board
Vassar Temple
Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County
Susan Karnes Hecht, Past President
& Dayenu Circle Coordinator
Grantees are at the center of their communities, where people are feeling the effects of climate change and listening to trusted voices. Susan connects this work of decarbonizing buildings with her spirituality and the Jewish belief in taking care of the Earth.
Vassar Temple:
$36,026
Estimated 20 metric tons of CO2e averted annually
Heat pumps, wifi thermostats, and pipe insulation
Update: After proving how well heat pumps worked in the temple’s office space thanks to the BDG funding, the board supported the installation of heat pumps in the sanctuary when their aged ACs broke during the height of the summer.
“The Torah scrolls had to be moved because of the heat this summer. We are making these changes for sustainability. And I’m saying, if you’re interested in this for your house, here’s how.”
—Susan Karnes Hecht
Jewish Congregation of New Paltz
New Paltz, Ulster County
Wendy Rudder, JCNP Green Team Chair
The JCNP Green Committee, which Wendy chairs, made a thorough plan to decarbonize their building. PCA’s grant gave them the ability to actualize their plan, combining it with funds from the congregation.
Jewish Congregation of New Paltz:
$56,937
Estimated 22 metric tons of CO2e avoided annually
Heat pumps to replace an old oil furnace and insulation
“I feel great pride because our entire synagogue building (over 100 years old) is now free of fossil fuels. Now when we come together to practice our faith, Mother Earth smiles.”
—Wendy Rudder
Even after a building changes hands, decarbonization work remains.
It turns out that UU Catskills decided to sell their building after completing the decarbonization of their sanctuary building. They feel good about the work they’ve “paid forward” to the next owner, who will be using it as a performance space to host musicians, artists and hold wellness events. The congregation made many memories in the building, including the Halloween event pictured here!
Unitarian Universalist of the Catskills:
$25,000
Insulation, air sealing, and an Energy Star fridge
Future: purchasing Energy Star equipment for their new space and pursuing the UU’s “Green Sanctuary” program
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
of the Catskills
Kingston, Ulster County
Carma Haas, Treasurer
“Decarbonization was not part of my vocabulary. My environmental focus has mainly been to reduce, recycle, and reuse. Working with the Partners for Climate Action opened my eyes to the significant environmental benefits of Building Decarbonization.”
—Carma Haas
The Kiwanis Ice Arena purchased a new ice chiller that uses drastically less energy and water and replaced greenhouse gas emitting refrigerant with ammonia. The Town put forward a bond to invest in this major project. They have an electric Zamboni, too!
Kiwanis Ice Arena, Town of Saugerties
Saugerties, Ulster County
Rob Kleeman, Director
Kiwanis Ice Arena
Town of Saugerties’s Kiwanis Ice Arena:
$4000
Estimated 213 metric tons of CO2e avoided annually
Their PCA grant is paying for analysis of the positive impacts and storytelling around the critical issue of refrigerant management.
Town of Claverack
Columbia County
Town of Claverack:
$5000
Energy study for their town’s Highway Garage
“We can thank PCA for your insistence that we include an envelope assessment in the energy audit. We recently received $25,000 in CEC grant awards and the Town Board agreed that we would apply the funds to sealing the envelope as a first step in audit implementation.”
—John Bradley
John Bradley,
Climate Smart Volunteer
Kippy Weigelt,
Town Supervisor
Village of Philmont
Columbia County
From volunteer firefighters to mayors, from newsletter-writers to climate volunteers like Tom Paino, it takes extraordinary teamwork to get these projects done. Tom had a career in sustainability in the built environment and rolled up his sleeves to get involved when he moved to Philmont.
Tom was also in PCA’s Local Champions training program for Climate Smart volunteers, and Philmont hosts one of PCA’s Libraries of Local at their public library, where they also received one of PCA’s Ecological Restoration Grants. Whenever we can, PCA tries to deepen our partnership with a place.
Village of Philmont:
$15,000
Engineering and design work to understand how to decarbonize their mixed-use Village Hall, Firehouse
Future: Philmont has received a substantial grant for the installation of a geothermal system at the Village Hall and Firehouse
“Possessing the technical skills made the job somewhat routine. What made it exciting and super rewarding was working with a diversity of people who may have lacked specific skills but came up with out-of-the-box strategies and solutions that turned out to be winners.”
—Tom Paino, Climate Smart Volunteer
Mountain Top Arboretum, located in Greene County, is an oasis of climate action. Since completing their BDG project, they have become an Experience Clean Heat demonstration site, promoted by NYSERDA as a place the public can go to discover firsthand what a fossil fuel free space feels like.
Mountain Top Arboretum:
$27,800
Heat pump installation
Future: convert to electric landscaping equipment
Mountain Top Arboretum
Tannersville, Greene County
“We connect visitors to the native plant communities and habitats of the Catskill Mountains. Our timber-framed Education Center was built using 21 different tree species from the Arboretum. Thanks to the Building Decarbonization grant, carbon neutrality is now part of our story.”
—Jennifer Hemmerlein
Jennifer Hemmerlein, Executive Director
Abby Coffin, Chair of the Board
Hudson Valley Research Laboratory
Highland, Ulster County
Peggy Kent, Administrative Assistant & Jared Bruno, Director
Hudson Valley Research Laboratory is a partnership between local growers and Cornell Agritech, part of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. “They help growers solve the problems the agricultural community faces everyday.”
Hudson Valley Research Lab:
$25,000
Solar, one step in their plan to completely decarbonizing the lab
“Working on decarbonization while modernizing equipment and expanding programs is a win for both the environment and the regional agricultural community. The integration of solar panels has been a great way to reduce energy costs as we update the facility for current and future research needs.”
—Peggy Kent
YMCA of Kingston & Ulster County:
$100,000
Estimated 43 metric tons of CO2e avoided annually
Heat pumps and insulation
Update: The Y hosted a special Zoom session with PCA and New Yorkers for Clean Power’s Tom Konrad, an energy coach who meets one-on-one with residents to help them get to next steps in reducing their home’s carbon footprint.
YMCA of Kingston & Ulster County
Kingston, Ulster County
Noelle Schmidt, Associate Executive Director of Operations, Rhea Paniesin, Grant Development Director & Heidi Kirschner, President/CEO
The YMCA has been playing an important role in Kingston and environs since its founding in1898. It provides healthy activity for people of all ages, including exercise, camps, children’s afterschool activities, wellness programs, swimming lessons, and more.
“In the New Year everyone is trying to get fit. With the grant from Partners for Climate Action, we are putting in insulation and heat pumps and we can actually use this gym in the winter and in the summer. We are doing new windows and doors too. This New Year, we should all resolve to be a little more green.”
—Heidi Kirschner
Hudson River Maritime Museum & Wooden Boat School
Kingston, Ulster County
Lisa Cline, Executive Director
The Hudson River Maritime Museum & Wooden Boat School are composed of waterfront buildings within sea level rise projections. HVAC equipment was installed to be above the flood line. In this way, the buildings themselves embody the Hudson River estuary’s history and resilient future.
Hudson River Maritime Museum & Wooden Boat School:
$45,626
Estimated 26 metric tons CO2e avoided annually
Heat pumps in the HRMM
Solar on the roof of the WBS
“For 46 years the Hudson River Maritime Museum has been sharing stories about the Hudson River's past. About ten years ago, as we came to understand the threat of climate change to Hudson River Valley communities, the museum began sharing stories about the River's present.
In 2024, after experiencing several years of damaging floods at our waterfront campus and seeing the predictions about increasing severity of floods, the museum has come to see itself and climate change as part of the story of the River's future. With funding from Partners For Climate Action, HRMM has joined that future by taking actions to reduce our campus carbon dependence—actions that will support our community's well-being and allow the museum to continue engaging the public in the past, present and future of the Hudson River.”
—Ann Loeding, HRMM Board Member
In January 2023, Hawthorne Valley’s board passed a resolution pledging to be “Net Positive.” This means Hawthorne Valley will “a) contribute more to the natural world and its inhabitants than it extracts, b) harmonize social, economic, and environmental needs, and c) formalize and embed these commitments in every aspect of the organization.”
They used BDG funds as part of a larger project to decarbonize all their farm, store, and school buildings. The PCA grant positioned them to win a $1.2mm NYSERDA grant for further decarbonization work.
Hawthorne Valley Association:
$63,000
73 metric tons of CO2e avoided annually
Heat pumps, heat pump/recovery hot water heater systems for education buildings, envelope efficiency improvements on windows, roof and doors
Future: They are also working to be one of the first in NY State to convert their dairy’s pasteurization system, currently the biggest emitter on the campus.
Hawthorne Valley Association
Ghent, Columbia County
Martin Ping, Executive Director
David Szlasa, Green Building Consultant
“It is tremendously exciting to be making progress in decarbonizing our campus. We are grateful to Partners for Climate Action for providing us with the resources to create a cleaner, healthier environment for our students while reducing our carbon footprint and generating savings that can be redirected to support our school’s learning goals.”
—Martin Ping
Marbletown Community Center, Town of Marbletown
Ulster County
This sweet building, right on the main drag in town, offers a gathering space for the community. And yet, it’s needs so much work! With fundraising and support from the community, the Town Board of Marbletown is weighing the best way to tackle the decarbonization project.
Town of Marbletown:
$78,250
Insulation and ground source geothermal for the Marbletown Community Center
