Chappaqua, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that two clean energy projects in the Town of New Castle have been completed, thanks to $100,000 in State Senate funding he was able to secure. Both projects involve the installation of new heat pumps, one at the train station here and the other at the Carriage House in Amsterdam Park off Hoags Cross Road.

“Heat pumps are far more energy efficient and cost effective than traditional heating and cooling units,” said Harckham. “That’s why I was pleased to support the Town of New Castle’s smart decision to install heat pumps during these two renovation projects. This alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems will also be providing environmental benefits to residents.”

Using metal coils, a fan and a refrigerant, heat pumps can both heat and cool buildings like those selected for the installations in New Castle. Instead of generating heat by burning fuel or utilizing intensive electrical energy, this air-source (or ground-source) technology collects and absorbs ambient heat from the outside of the building and transfers it inside (or pushes it out in the cooling mode.)

Cost-savings for buildings using heat pumps will vary in regard to the energy sources they are replacing. Buildings that are heated with more expensive oil and propane cost even more because of fluctuating market prices or spikes generated by world events. In the case of electrical heating, almost three times the amount of electricity is used versus the amount needed to operate the heat pump.

The total cost of the heat pumps for the Town of New Castle is $159,200, which will be covered by Harckham’s state grant funding and $59,200 from the Town’s general fund balance. 

New Castle Supervisor Victoria Tipp said, “The Town of New Castle extends its sincere thanks to Senator Pete Harckham for his continued commitment to supporting our local municipalities and to environmental sustainability. Through a 2023 CREST Grant, the Senator’s support made it possible to install heat pumps at Chappaqua’s historic Metro North train station house, home of the popular Bobo’s Café, and at a carriage house at Amsterdam Park, which enabled the expansion of our town’s summer camp program. These investments allowed us to increase recreational opportunities for children while supporting our long-term sustainability goals, ensuring that our public spaces remain welcoming, comfortable, resilient, and environmentally responsible.”

The projects were funded through the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program. Harckham has secured $35 million in capital grants for the towns, cities and villages across Senate District 40 through CREST, the Local Community Assistance Program (LOCAP) and State Aid to Municipalities (SAM) grants since taking office in 2019.