Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Hudson) announced that she is partnering with the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund for a Preparing for the Hudson Valley’s Energy Future forum. The forum will provide information about increasing energy efficiency for homes, businesses, farms and municipalities.

“Energy costs are on everyone's mind in the Hudson Valley right now; this past winter was a cold wakeup call that put enormous financial stress on many people," said Assemblymember Barrett. “Making our homes, businesses and communities more energy efficient will both help folks save money and reduce our carbon footprint.”

The Preparing for the Hudson Valley’s Energy Future forum will include two panel presentations. The first panel will feature industry professionals with experience in energy-efficiency projects. The second will focus on available financial incentives for homeowners and municipalities. There will also be information available for municipalities that want to improve their energy efficiency. Vendors from the industry will be on hand during and after the event to answer any questions.

“Many Hudson Valley residents want to save money and make their homes more energy efficient, but the best ways to do so aren't always clear,” said Marcia Bystryn, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “By connecting residents directly with the experts, we hope to make it easy to go green - and to help homeowners save on their energy bills, too. This should be a great event and we are proud to partner with Assemblymember Didi Barrett, so please come out and join us."

The forum will be on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 6 P.M. and will be held at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, 2801 County Road 44A, Millbrook, NY 12545.

This past winter’s extreme weather caused many to see a painful spike in their monthly utility bills. These drastic spikes in cost make increasing your home energy efficiency even more imperative. In addition to promoting energy efficiency initiatives, Assemblymember Barrett noted that she authored and passed legislation in the Assembly that will restore consumer representation on the State Energy Planning Board (A.7069). This representative will ensure that consumer interests are included in the state energy plan.