Our planet is experiencing more intense heat, bigger storms, longer droughts, increased flooding, raging wildfires, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels. And yes, man-made greenhouse gases are causing our climate to change.
That's why the Saugerties Town Board took these actions:
Two Battery Electric Trucks Added to Town Fleet (l to r) Town Supervisor Fred Costello, Jr; Waste Water Consultant Mark Resso; Superintendent of Parks, Recreation, Buildings and Grounds Greg Chorvas; Special Operations Coordinator/Grant Writer Kathleen Gray
Two battery electric light-duty trucks, funded by a $100,000 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant, arrived in Saugerties to replace aging gas-powered vehicles. The all-electric trucks help reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, are more efficient, and cost less to operate. Internal combustion engines are a leading source of emissions.
The new trucks are for use primarily on public roads and highways by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Buildings, and the Waste Water Treatment Department.
The town, a New York State designated Clean Energy Community (CEC) qualified for the $100,000 grant having implemented the required number of clean energy high-impact actions.
Town Supervisor Fred Costello, Jr. stated his gratitude to NYSERDA for providing the funding, and to the town’s Conservation Advisory Commission Climate Smart Task Force for its work in documenting the town’s CEC high-impact actions that qualified the town for the grant.
Previous CEC grants include: $10,000 for LED lighting at Town Hall, $5,000 for energy efficient appliances at the Greco Senior Center kitchen, and a $5,000 grant as designated CEC community.
Community Climate Action Plan. Request for Comments
The (CAC) Climate Smart Task Force has prepared a draft Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) and welcomes your feedback.
Learn how many metric tons of Greenhouse Gas our community emitted in 2022, which sectors of the community produced the most emissions, what are the town goals and strategies to reduce emissions, and much more.
Be proud of our town government as you read about the many actions taken in the past several years by town officials, department heads and staff to respond to climate change.
Click to view the plan. Email your comments to: saugertiesclimateplan@gmail.com with your name, the topic, and reference the plan page number. Comments are accepted until November 11, 2025. Following a review of comments, the town-appointed CAC will present a final Community Climate Action Plan to the Town Board for adoption.
Give Your Pumpkin A New Life
You can bring your pumkin for composting to the Saugerties Transfer Station at 1765 Rt 212 Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7 am - 3 pm
By working together — Town government, residents, and business owners — we can reduce greenhouse gas emmissions while building our local economy, and be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Here are some suggestions:

There is an immediacy to this threat that requires all of us to be proactive and take responsibility for our little corner of the world as we work to further reduce our municipal greenhouse gas emissions and develop additional mitigation policies to address current and future impacts.
Our town's Climate Smart Saugerties task force is a perfect example of how volunteer efforts are bringing us closer to an energy sustainable future. The work of the task force couldn't be more important.”
