State Support for Local Climate Action

Local governments can receive financial and technical support from New York State agencies for taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Grants

Several New York State agencies provide funding to support completion of Climate Smart Communities (CSC) certification actions, including the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA), and the Department of State (DOS). The descriptions of the certification actions on this website include references to the specific funding programs relevant to each action.

Grant applications for state funds from Registered and Certified Climate Smart Communities earn higher scores for some programs, including DEC’s CSC Grant Program.

Online Guidance

Please refer to the Certification Application User Guide for an overview of how to participate in the program and prepare an application for CSC certification. 

Additionally, the Hudson Valley Regional Council developed the Climate Smart Tutorial Videos to help you navigate this portal website. The videos are designed for those simply interested in learning what actions might be appropriate for their community, as well as for those municipalities aiming to be designated a Certified Climate Smart Community.

To see examples of documentation and view the actions completed by certified municipalities, please navigate to the Participating Communities page, filter for "Certified Communities" and view the Certification Reports for details. 

Technical Assistance

Regional CSC Coordinators are available to provide free technical support to local governments as they implement climate-related projects and work toward CSC certification. Please visit the CSC Coordinators page to find contact info for the coordinator in your region.

In addition, NYSERDA-funded Clean Energy Community Coordinators are available to provide on-demand consulting services regarding clean energy projects, including assistance with templates (e.g., for legislation and procurement) and guidance on taking advantage of funding opportunities. These Clean Energy Community Coordinators can be reached at cec@nyserda.ny.gov. Or you can find contact info for the coordinator in your region by going to https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Contractors/Find-a-Contractor/Clean-Energy-Community-Coordinators.

Inquiries about the CSC Certification program can also be emailed to climatesmart@dec.ny.gov.

Mailing List

Join the CSC mailing list to receive emails about new resources, funding opportunities, upcoming webinars, and workshops. To stay informed, join the mailing list by entering your email address in the “DEC Delivers” box on the right at https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/76483.html .

Webinars

CSC webinars, hosted by DEC staff, provide timely information on a wide variety of topics related to local climate action. The webinar archives can be found on the webinar presentations archive page.