Mayor Bloomberg hosts event for Taconic and Clarion converting to natural gas at Eastchester Heights

Mayor Michael Bloomberg hosted an event to congratulate Taconic Investment Partners and Clarion Partners on their conversion from #6 heating oil to natural gas at Eastchester Heights, a 1,400-unit rent-stabilized development that was one of the city's top 10 users of heavy oil. The conversion will reduce carbon emissions at the property by nearly 60% while lowering energy costs by at least 25%. The changeover also enables Eastchester Heights to opt out of its Title V air permit and makes it eligible for emission reduction credits. At the event, Bloomberg also announced more than $100 million in financing and other new resources to help city buildings convert to cleaner fuels. The financing and assistance results from innovative partnerships between leading banks, energy providers and environmental groups, and are a part of the NYC Clean Heat program the mayor launched in 2011 to help buildings meet cleaner fuel requirements. Additional speakers at the event included deputy mayor for operations Cas Holloway; Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Carter Strickland; director of the Office for Long-term Planning and Sustainability David Bragdon; director of Energy Policy Sergej Mahnovski; Douglas Durst, chairman of The Durst Organization and chair of the NYC Clean Heat Task Force; Priscilla Almodovar, head of Chase Community Development Banking; Gary Hattem, president of Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation; Claude Trahan, senior vice president for Gas Operations at Con Edison; Ken Daly, president of National Grid; Bill Hanna, vice president of Hess Energy Solutions; and Eric Pooley, senior vice president for Strategy and Communications for the Environmental Defense Fund. Shown (from left) are: Virginia Ramirez, Clarion Partners; Rick Schaupp, Clarion Partners; Daniel McInerney, Taconic Investment; Paul Pariser, co-CEO of Taconic Investment; Bloomberg; Peter Febo, Taconic Investment; Thomas James, Clarion Partners; Chantay Boykin, Taconic Management Co. (TMC); Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz, Jr,; Laura Martinez, TMC; David Woodruff, Taconic Investment; Agim Duraku, TMC; and Savath Pauv, Taconic Eastchester Management.