Chipping energy off the old block

A new Lower East Side community project called Greening a Block is having an informational meeting on Thurs., July 21 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Village East Towers at 170 Avenue C (between 10th and 11th Sts.) One city block on the Lower East Side will be selected for the Greening a Block project, which is being organized by a coalition called the Neighborhood Energy Network, which includes Jeff Perlman of Bright Power Inc. and Charles Komanoff of Komanoff Energy Associates. The project’s goal is to reduce energy consumption on one block by 30 percent. This goal will be achieved, on a building-by-building basis, by reconfiguring and upgrading old heating systems, better insulating buildings and windows and replacing inefficient appliances. Most of the money for these improvements will come from environmental mitigation funds from Community Board 3’s settlement with Con Edison over the 14th St. East River Plant expansion. The coalition hopes that the resulting energy-efficient block could serve as a template for similar projects throughout the neighborhood and the city. For more information about Greening a Block, go to www.greeningablock.org.