ALBANY, N.Y. — An upstate New York town that repeatedly found itself without power for days during a string of storms is planning a dramatic step by pulling its municipal buildings entirely off the electric grid.
The decision by Nassau to rely on solar, wind, landfill gas and battery storage by 2020 puts the town of 5,000 near Albany on the leading edge of a national campaign to develop “microgrids” designed to make communities more energy independent and the grid more resilient.
While only a few communities have become early adopters and natural disasters have been a driving force, proponents say there is also growing interest nationwide from places looking to save money by selling excess power to utilities and to help the environment.
Tipping points for Nassau came during ice storms that knocked out power in 2008 and 2009, when front-end loaders had to be used to open the heavy highway department doors so sand trucks could get on the road because a small generator couldn’t handle the lift, town Supervisor David Fleming said.
