Mayor Mike Spano is committed to making Yonkers a leader in sustainability and taking meaningful action to protect the future of our environment, our economy and our diverse communities. Since establishing the Mayor's Office of Sustainability and the Yonkers Green City Advisory Committee, the City of Yonkers has launched a comprehensive energy master plan and completed dozens of actions to advance conservation, clean energy and waste reduction. 

In 2014, Yonkers became the first city in New York State to complete the replacement of its nearly 12,000 streetlights with LED bulbs, resulting in $18 million in energy cost-savings for taxpayers over 10 years and an annual reduction in carbon emissions of 3,000 tons. Going a step further, the City of Yonkers also recently became the first in the region to take lighting at a City park off-the-grid entirely with the installation of solar and wind powered LED lights at the JFK Park and Marina. The City's commitment to renewable energy and emissions reduction has also extended to its operation of buildings, infrastructure, vehicles and equipment with numerous energy-efficiency retrofits, green fleet initiatives, green building standards and the launch of the first emission-free dockless bike and scooter micromobility programs.

Yonkers has also been a leader in protecting and improving the health of its natural resources.  The award-winning 'Daylighting' of the Saw Mill River has been called a model for urban redevelopment and environmental revitalization and has received international attention for its innovative approach. With 3 phases now complete, the Daylighting project has unearthed, restored, and transformed a major portion of the river – that had for decades been buried below city streets – into a natural habitat for migratory fish passage and beautiful new green space in the heart of Downtown Yonkers. The project has also helped spur over a billion dollars in transit oriented development, including new affordable housing and job growth in the downtown district.

William Serratore
Chair

Terry Joshi
Vice Chair

Other Members: 
Robert Hothan
Bob Walters
Nortrud Spero
Mel Goldstein
John Jeris
Ryan Palmer
Bill Dennison
Kelvin Van Wright 

WILLIAM S ERRATORE
Director of Sustainability
(914) 377-6209
william.serratore@yonkersny.gov

City Hall
Suite 200 - Mayor's Office 
40 South Broadway
Yonkers, NY 10701

Yonkers is set to join Sustainable Westchester's Westchester Power Community Energy Program! 

Westchester Power serves 115,000+ residents in 28 Westchester
municipalities who have come together to address climate
change through their electricity choice. Yonkers is set to join this
fixed-rate, 100% renewable energy program that
enables the city to negotiate a clean energy supply, help “green”
the electricity grid and work toward creating a cleaner, healthier &
more resilient City!

Why Westchester Power?

• Allows local governments like Yonkers to procure a renewable
energy supply and other services on behalf of their residents and
small businesses
• The program supplier is selected from qualified Energy Service
Companies (ESCOs)
• Fixed rates: consistent pricing each month, resulting in cost
control and insurance against unpredictable utility electricity pricing
• 100% EMISSION-FREE electricity
• You CAN OPT OUT at ANY TIME without penalties
• Con Edison continues to be responsible for your delivery, billing,
maintenance & emergency services

Westchester Power Notification Letter ENGLISH 

Westchester Power Notification Letter SPANISH 

Westchester Power FAQ SPANISH 

The Yonkers Climate Action Plan is a comprehensive 158-page plan is a culmination of one year of research, examination, and partnerships. It aims to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while improving residents' quality of life, strengthening the economic vitality of local businesses, creating new jobs, fostering a healthy community and natural environment, and making Yonkers more resilient.

The plan will focus on several goals and strategies in the following topics: Jobs and Economy, Resilience and Environment, Waste and Materials, Energy and Buildings and Transportation. The Yonkers Climate Action Plan’s goal is to secure the City’s path to zero emissions by 2050.

Click HERE to View

In recognition of the actions taken by the City of Yonkers to reverse climate change, New York State has designated Yonkers a Climate Smart Community. The City has also been designated as a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

In July 2013, Mayor Spano launched the LED Street Light Replacement Project to replace all 12,000 of the city's cobra heads with new LED lights. The LEDs will cut Yonkers' energy bill by 60%, save taxpayers $18 million in energy costs over ten years and reduce Yonkers' carbon footprint by 3,000 tons annually. 

The new lights are also extremely durable and last upwards of 80,000 hours or nearly 19 years. That means less ongoing maintenance and more taxpayer savings. They’re also a lot brighter than the old lights. That means improved lighting and increased public safety in our neighborhoods.

Each year, the City of Yonkers issues a Recycling Guide to every Yonkers household.  The guide includes information about what can be recycled as well as dates for recycling and refuse collection, Christmas tree pickup, leaf pickup, the mobile shredder and suspension of alternate side of the street parking. To increase knowledge and participation in recycling, residents can now access this useful information from their mobile device or computer on the new Yonkers Recycle Coach App. The app even provides reminders for garbage and recycling collection.

The City has also expanded curbside recycling to include quarterly pick-up of textiles and e-waste.

Effective March 1, 2020, stores in New York State prohibited the distribution of single-use plastic bags to customers. To assist residents in transitioning away from single-use bags, the City of Yonkers offers free reusable bags to any resident in need. *limited supply available

The City of Yonkers has also enacted a local law banning the distribution of plastic straws by restaurants.

The City of Yonkers established the first Styrofoam recycling program in New York State.  In a major expansion of the city's recycling program, residents are now able to drop off used polystyrene foam products and packaging for recycling. In just two months after initiating the program, residents recycled the equivalent of 600,000 Styrofoam coffee cups.

In addition, the City has worked with the Yonkers Public Schools to eliminate the annual use of 2 million Styrofoam school lunch trays. Yonkers Public Schools have transitioned to trays made of 100% recycled materials and are biodegradable and compostable. 

As part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the City of Yonkers is taking action to transition its vehicle fleet to alternative fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles. The City has enacted new green fleet standards to expedite the conversion of its light-duty vehicle to electric.The City has also implemented a fleet and fuel management system to better control and track vehicle and fuel use. 

Further expanding the electrification of the City's assets to reduce emissions, the Yonkers Parks Department has transitioned 14 leaf blowers and mowers from gas to electric.

Yonkers currently hosts New York’s first dockless shared electric scooter program, providing a convenient, low-cost, emission-free option for residents and visitors to get around the City. Yonkers has also added 10 new electric vehicle charging stations for public use and a free rideshare program for commuters interested in carpooling to and from work.

In May 2013, Mayor Mike Spano introduced and the City Council unanimously approved the Yonkers Green Buildings ordinance, establishing a policy for the City to design and construct its facilities to meet green building standards and to encourage commercial and residential developers to do the same. Working with the New York Power Authority, the City conducted energy audits and completed energy conservation measures at each city building which have resulted in $120,000 in annual energy cost-savings to taxpayers.

The City's Green Building Program has since been expanded to require all construction projects in Downtown Yonkers to meet green standards as provided for in the Yonkers Green Development Workbook.

In 2019, the City of Yonkers became the first big city in New York State to establish an Open Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (Open C-PACE) program. Partnering with the Energy Improvement Corporation, the City is able to offer low-cost, long-term financing to assist commercial building owners in paying for improved energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.  The program supports the transition to more sustainable energy alternatives for Yonkers' larger buildings and energy consumers.

Yonkers waterfront property and infrastructure along the Hudson River is particularly susceptible to storm flooding.  In preparing for future storm events and improving resiliency, the City has replaced lighting at JFK Marina Park, which had been previously damaged by flooding, with new lighting units that generate and store 100% wind and solar power. The units require no in-ground wiring or reliance on the electric grid, allowing them to remain operational during floods and power outages, and making JFK Marina Park the first "Off-Grid" city park in the Hudson Valley Region.

Legislation introduced by Mayor Spano to streamline the approvals process for solar installations was unanimously approved by the City Council in June 2014.  The City adopted the New York State Uniform Solar Permit which has simplified applications and established a flat fee for all solar permits in Yonkers. The City has also adopted legislation enabling “Community Solar” development at commercial properties. 

 The City of Yonkers adopted an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing ordinance in 2015 requiring the purchase of products and services that meet standards which minimize environmental and health impacts, toxins, pollution, and hazards to worker and community safety.

As part of a comprehensive water management program, the City of Yonkers has replaced 30,000 residential and commercial water meters with new, state-of-the-art devices. In the past, most residents were billed based on estimates of their water usage. The new meters provide for accurate billing based on actual usage. Now, property owners who conserve water are rewarded with lower water bills.

After adopting leaf mulching techniques in 44 city parks, the City of Yonkers launched a campaign to encourage homeowners and their landscapers to try the Love' Em and Leave 'Em approach with their Fall leaves. They were asked to leave Fall leaves on the lawn and "mow 'em to mulch 'em" using a lawnmower with mulching blades. The finely-shredded leaves disappear between the blades of grass, returning valuable nutrients to the soil; reducing municipal costs; and improving our local environment. Training sessions have been conducted for homeowners, landscapers and municipal grounds keeping staff.

The City of Yonkers has stepped up enforcement of the gas-powered leaf blower ban during the months of June through September to better protect air quality. Each year the City also issues robocalls, emails and posts information on social media to better inform residents and landscapers of the law and ways to report violations.

The Hudson River is a tidal estuary that supports critical habitats for many species of wildlife and is a defining natural feature of Yonkers that attracts residents and visitors to the city. Following decades of clean-up efforts, the Hudson is now one of the healthiest estuaries on the Atlantic Coast. The City of Yonkers remains committed to the continued protection of the Hudson River, which is why Mayor Spano has led regional efforts to defeat a recent barge anchorage proposal that would've established a parking lot for petroleum-carrying vessels along the entire Yonkers waterfront and beyond.  Thanks to the organizing of dozens of Hudson River communities, the original proposal has been scrapped; however industry interests continue to seek alternative proposals for establishing additional anchorages on the Hudson. The City of Yonkers continues to stay vigilant and will organize to fight any new proposals that threaten the health of the river and our riverfront communities.

The City of Yonkers is also closely monitoring conceptual proposals by the US Army of Corps of Engineers (USACE) to address future coastal storm impacts, including the construction of in-water storm surge barriers in New York/New Jersey area tributaries. While intended to protect shoreline communities from flooding, there are many unanswered questions pertaining to the cost-effectiveness and environmental impacts presented by these barriers. Visit the USACE website to learn more about the NY & NJ Harbor & Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study.

In 2014, the City worked closely with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop a comprehensive Energy Master Plan for the City of Yonkers. The goal of the plan is to reduce energy consumption, strengthen reliability of energy infrastructure, create jobs in clean energy industries and contribute to a cleaner environment. The City hosted an Energy Summit and Energy Summit Follow-Up Meeting to identify opportunities to lower costs and increase efficiency in four action areas: energy planning and coordination, energy delivery infrastructure, transportation and buildings.

The City has worked closely with State and community partners to develop a NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan, an important step toward rebuilding a more resilient community following Superstorm Sandy and in preparing for more frequent and intense storms in the future. Designed and driven by community stakeholders, this plan accounts for Yonkers-specific needs, opportunities and strategies.