Our Impact
Fiscal Year July 2025-June 2026
View the 2025 Impact report here
Collective Impact
GLOW With Your Hands event reaches students interested in clean energy jobs
500+ students engaged around clean energy careers
The Renewable Energy Working Group expanded its clean energy workforce outreach in partnership with NextCorps’ Clean Jobs Collaborative. Through presentations and regional career and trade fairs, more than 500 students were connected with information and resources about careers in clean energy.
Haylee Ferrington, Len LukaGenesee, and Michael Henry at Valley BOCES Career Fair
35 participants engaged through rental housing decarbonization events
Eleven people participated in a data interactive exploring findings from the Accelerator’s split-incentive study with the Urban Institute
24 participated in a stakeholder meeting. These conversations brought together local organizations and agencies to explore energy-efficiency opportunities for renters and provide local context to the study.
The Highlights
The Accelerator’s efforts to welcome community members into conversations about creating a regenerative future through the Regenerative Futures Lab concluded in June. Participants provided valuable feedback that will help inform how the Accelerator educates the public about mental models that are holding climate change and related issues in place and how the region can move toward a more regenerative future.
The Renewable Energy Working Group continued operating and developed a strong partnership with NextCorps’ Clean Jobs Collaborative to build the local clean energy workforce. In March, the group convened regional stakeholders for a meeting with NYSERDA to discuss the outlook for clean energy jobs in New York State and the Finger Lakes Region. The group also gave its first presentation on clean energy jobs to the Monroe County Youth Environmental Management Council in conjunction with the Clean Jobs Collaborative. Through local events, the group engaged and shared resources with more than 500 students about careers in clean energy.
Workshop participants vote on ideas to implement new energy standards in Rochester
The Accelerator also partnered with the Urban Institute, a nationally recognized research organization, to study the split-incentive problem and identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and decarbonize rental housing in Rochester. The research combined a review of programs in other cities with interviews that included renters, landlords, housing advocates, contractors, affordable housing providers, and other stakeholders. Among the strategies explored were expanding financial incentives for energy-efficiency upgrades, strengthening education and engagement with renters and landlords, and pairing energy-efficiency requirements with financial and technical support.
In November 2025, a data interactive gave stakeholders an opportunity to explore the findings of the study, share their reactions, insights, and ideas about energy-efficiency opportunities for renters, and help identify priorities and next steps grounded in local experience. The study was completed and published in June 2026. We’re deeply appreciative to our partners at the Urban Institute for their collaboration on this important topic.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Accelerator plans to launch a Buildings Working Group to create a system in the City of Rochester for assessing housing quality, better addressing housing upgrade needs, and establishing a minimum required energy-efficiency standard. Exploration of the split-incentive problem will involve multiple Accelerator programs, including Collective Impact, the Hub, CYCG, and Policy & Advocacy.
The Renewable Energy Working Group will continue its efforts to build the local clean energy workforce and collaborate with Color Your Community Green groups to support advocacy for renewable energy in their communities.
Following feedback from the strategic planning process, Collective Impact is also moving toward a more flexible model focused on short-term campaigns and emergent strategies to build the movement for a regenerative region, strengthen the regional environmental movement, and advance the Genesee-FLX Climate Action Strategy and the wider organization.
ADDITIONAL IMPACT
Renewable Energy Working Group
A NYSERDA Clean Energy Jobs presentation brought together 12 attendees representing 8 organizations: YAMTEP, RTMA, NextCorps, Sierra Club, New Yorkers for Clean Power (NYCP), NYSDOL, EDF Power Solutions, and MCC.
The Monroe County Youth Environmental Council Clean Energy Jobs presentation brought together 12 attendees and was the group’s first presentation.
The GV BOCES College & Career Fair engaged 155 people.
GLOW With Your Hands in September 2025 engaged 238 people.
ROC With Your Hands in October 2025 engaged 190 people.
Buildings Workgroup
The Data Interactive brought together 11 attendees representing 6 organizations:
Hart Homes
City of Rochester
Connected Communities
Monroe County
Causewave Community Partners
Sustain With Age
The Split Incentive Study Stakeholders Meeting brought together 24 attendees representing 10 organizations.
City of Rochester
CYCG
Connected Communities
RENEW
GFLRPC
Causewave Community Partners
Sustain With Age
Monroe County
SWBR
ABC
Color Your Community Green
& Color Your School Green
Color Webster Green team member Becky Collins co-teaching a class as part of a CYCG grant project
50 community climate actions completed or underway
CYCG teams completed or advanced 50 actions aligned with the Genesee-FLX Climate Action Strategy—16% more than the annual goal. Actions included climate education, community outreach and advocacy for Climate Smart Communities, local Climate Action Plans, advocating for New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), and other climate policies.
CYCG team members coming together for fall retreat, co-hosted by Color Brighton Green
221 active Color Your Community Green members
As of June 2026, 221 active members regularly participated in 13 Color Your Community Green teams across five counties. Seven teams included state-designated Disadvantaged Communities, helping expand opportunities for community-led climate action across the region.
The Rochester EcoFair at the Westside Farmers’ Market, which was funded by a CYCG grant
$6,741.05 invested in community-led projects
Eight CYCG projects received $6,741.05 in grants to strengthen local teams and support progress toward greenhouse gas reduction goals. Projects included an EcoFair, hybrid meeting technology, community engagement, website improvements and a countywide advocacy campaign.
The Highlights
Color Rochester Green team members doing outreach at the Puerto Rican Festival
Color Your Community Green continued its work to create and train a network of residents at the municipal and neighborhood level who are empowered to connect individual efforts with systems-level environmental solutions. As of June 2026, the network included 221 active volunteers participating in 13 teams across five counties, with seven teams including state-designated disadvantaged communities.
CYCG teams completed or actively worked on 50 projects aligned with the Genesee-FLX Climate Action Strategy. Examples included a series of articles in the Orleans Hub, education about zoning as a climate solution in multiple communities, and advocacy for Climate Smart Communities, local Climate Action Plans, the CLCPA, and other climate policies. Teams also continued learning from one another, with ideas such as EcoFairs, repair cafés, native plant promotion, and projects connected to the 40x30 initiative spreading across the network.
In March, CYCG teams mobilized in support of the CLCPA. Bill Maier of Color Fairport Green wrote an op-ed in the Rochester Beacon. Chris Steerman of Keep Lima Green, Allen Blair of Color Rochester Green, and Ginny Maier of the CYCG 40x30 Committee spoke at the Accelerator’s press conference. Eleven CYCG teams signed a letter supporting the CLCPA, and Color Rochester Green worked with Rochester City Councilmembers to unanimously pass a memorializing resolution supporting the law. Other team members made phone calls, sent messages, circulated petitions, shared information in their communities, and traveled to rallies in Albany.
In March 2026, the Accelerator awarded $6,741.05 to eight CYCG projects to build team capacity and support progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030. Projects included an EcoFair, hybrid meeting technology, positive community engagement, website upgrades, and a countywide advocacy campaign.
Color Rochester Green team members doing outreach at the Seneca Park Zoo
Color Your School Green continued engaging students, families, teachers, staff, and administrators in climate action. Stakeholders representing 11 school districts across four counties participated in events featuring expert speakers on clean heating and cooling for schools and understanding climate emotions in students.
Looking ahead, the Accelerator plans to engage new communities through facilitated conversations about climate solutions and identify people interested in becoming involved with CYCG. The Accelerator also plans to strengthen collaboration between CYCG and Policy & Advocacy to engage more residents in advocating for equitable and just climate policy and build the power of the local climate movement.
ADDITIONAL IMPACT
Team building at CYCG fall retreat, co-hosted by Color Brighton Green
CYCG Advocacy
11 CYCG teams signed a letter supporting the CLCPA.
Color Rochester Green worked with Rochester City Councilmembers to unanimously pass a memorializing resolution supporting the CLCPA.
CYCG members supported advocacy efforts through phone calls, messages, petitions, community outreach, rallies in Albany, an op-ed in the Rochester Beacon, and participation in the Accelerator’s press conference
Team Capacity + Collaboration
CYCG teams received support through workshops, field trips, and resources focused on storytelling, welcoming new members, community outreach, leadership, and even a trip to the Orangeville Battery Energy Storage Systems.
Teams also provided input on the Accelerator’s Community Progress Monitor and new strategic plan.
CYSG Reach
Stakeholders from 11 school districts across four counties participated in CYSG meetings and events.
CYSG programming included webinars on clean heating and cooling for schools and understanding climate emotions in students.
Public Engagement
Answering “Big Questions” at the Climate Solutions Summit, with Pepsy Kettavong speaking
221 community members attended the 2026 Climate Solutions Summit
The 2026 Climate Solutions Summit brought together 221 community members from across the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region for two days of learning and collaboration. Fifty sponsors supported the event, more than 20 vendors participated in the Power Up Fair, and 20 scholarship tickets helped make participation more accessible.
Audience participating in bird blanket toss during EcoVibes
150 people attended EcoVibes
EcoVibes: Unfolding Our Future brought climate storytelling to the Rochester Fringe Festival through two performances at Washington Square Park. The performances combined music, dance, spoken word, visual art, immersive audio and audience participation, while an organizational fair connected attendees with 16 local groups.
3+ volunteer hours per person each month
Beyond volunteers participating in Color Your Community Green and Policy & Advocacy, community members supported the Accelerator through tabling, door-to-door canvassing, climate-related research, graphic design and other projects. Participating volunteers averaged more than three hours of work per person each month throughout the year.
The Highlights
The Accelerator continued its flagship public engagement efforts while experimenting with new ways to connect people with climate change and climate solutions.
The 2026 Climate Solutions Summit brought 221 people from across the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region together at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center for two days of learning and collaboration. Fifty sponsors supported the Summit, more than 20 vendors participated in the Power Up Fair and 20 scholarship tickets helped increase accessibility.
Under the theme Energy = The Ability To Do Work, the Summit explored what it means to use energy wisely—personally, collectively and regionally. Keynote speakers Dr. Nate Hagens of The Great Simplification and Kristy Drutman of Brown Girl Green joined conversations spanning energy blindness, fossil fuels, AI, nervous system regulation, collective power and regeneration.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers at their table at the Climate Solutions Summit Power Up Fair
Corinda Reaves of Regional Transit Service and Cody Donahue of Reconnect Rochester facilitating a breakout discussion on transportation at the Climate Solutions Summit
The Accelerator also brought climate storytelling to the Rochester Fringe Festival through EcoVibes: Unfolding Our Future. A committee of artists and activists created two performances featuring music, dance, spoken word, visual art, immersive audio and audience participation. The performances attracted 150 attendees, while an accompanying organizational fair featured 16 local groups and connected attendees with opportunities to get involved.
Throughout the year, volunteers also supported community outreach, canvassing, research, graphic design, tabling and other Accelerator projects, averaging more than three hours of work per person each month.
Lisa Johnson performing spoken word during EcoVibes show
Audience members co-creating visual artwork during EcoVibes
Policy & Advocacy
Press conference featuring New York State Assembly member Harry Bronson
53 advocacy opportunities
The Accelerator provided 53 opportunities for community members to participate in climate advocacy, including legislative meetings, a press conference, an Albany advocacy trip, one-click advocacy tools, and mass communications.
CLCPA Rally
872 volunteer advocacy hours
Volunteers contributed 872 hours in support of the Accelerator’s Advocacy Agenda. Major actions included a March trip to Albany attended by 26 volunteers and a local press conference that mobilized community members around New York’s climate law.
Local attendees at the CLCPA Rally
55 memos and letters of support for climate policy
The Accelerator submitted 55 comments and letters supporting stronger climate policy and regulation, surpassing its annual goal of 37. These efforts addressed renewable energy investment, New York’s climate law, utility costs, public transportation funding and other climate priorities.
Local constituents meet with New York State Assembly member Grace Lee (center)
25 legislative meetings coordinated
The Accelerator coordinated 25 legislative meetings during FY25/26. Much of the year’s advocacy focused on defending the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act and supporting data center regulation, including the Responsible Data Center Development Act.
The Highlights
Policy & Advocacy remains a critical component of the Accelerator’s efforts to advance systemic climate solutions across the Genesee-Finger Lakes region and New York State. In FY25/26, we continued to deepen our relationships with elected officials, develop our climate policy expertise, and mobilize our base to advance a variety of policy and advocacy priorities.
This fiscal year, the Accelerator coordinated and attended 25 legislative meetings, a marked increase from last year, and organized 53 advocacy opportunities for volunteers, including press conferences, teach-ins, and a trip to Albany. Volunteers contributed 872 hours advocating for policy change, supporting bills like the Responsible Data Center Development Act and defending the CLCPA from rollbacks. Additionally, the Accelerator submitted 55 public comments and letters of support, maintaining a strong presence in statewide climate advocacy. We worked with hundreds of coalition partners across the state and a core group of 20 climate advocacy groups in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. Our efforts supported our region’s elected officials in taking at least 24 key actions in support of our legislative priorities.
At the start of the 2026 legislative cycle, we published our first-ever Advocacy Agenda, which laid out policies, regulations, and projects that would advance just and equitable climate solutions across our region. Our hope was to work with legislators to advance these priorities, but the state legislative session was dominated by the Governor’s efforts to undermine New York’s landmark climate law, the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Throughout budget negotiations, the Accelerator and our partners worked to defend the law from rollbacks by publishing statements, meeting with elected officials, generating calls to the Governor’s office, and more.
Two highlights of these efforts included mobilizing 26 volunteers to Albany to stand with nearly 1,000 climate advocates from around the state and hosting a local press conference attended by 50 climate advocates and headlined by Assemblymember Harry Bronson. Despite these efforts and those of thousands of people across the state, the Governor succeeded in rolling back the CLCPA. This loss was devastating to the climate movement, but it is not the end of our efforts to win a just transition to a regenerative economy in New York State.
Despite the rollbacks to the CLCPA, we secured several important climate wins during the state legislative session. The ASAP Act and SUNNY Act were both included in the final budget. These bills will support the expansion of the solar industry throughout New York State and allow residents to install balcony solar for the first time.
On the final day of the legislative session, the Senate and Assembly both passed the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which includes regulations on the construction and operation of hyperscale data centers in New York State, as well as a one-year moratorium on the issuance of new permits for data center projects. The Governor had not yet signed the bill at the time of this submission, but a few weeks after it passed the legislature, she issued an executive order immediately establishing a moratorium on new data center permits. In the process, New York State became the first state in the nation to establish a statewide moratorium on hyperscale data centers.
This was a significant win for the climate movement and for communities like Genesee County and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, which are threatened by massive data centers like the one proposed for the STAMP mega-industrial complex. The Accelerator has supported the Nation and its allies in their efforts to stop the STAMP data center for several years through training, direct advocacy with elected officials, and more. We were heartened to see these efforts begin to pay off with the passage of the Responsible Data Center Development Act and the Governor’s moratorium.
LOOKING AHEAD
In the coming fiscal year (26/27), we plan to continue our efforts to advance equitable and just climate policy at the state and local levels. Stopping the data center and reimagining the entire STAMP site will continue to be a top priority. In the state legislature, we will continue working to get the items on our Advocacy Agenda passed and signed into law by the Governor. We will also continue working with partners and volunteers to build the power of the climate movement.
ADDITIONAL IMPACT
25 advocacy partner organizations engaged with the Accelerator’s policy and advocacy work.
Six regional delegates unanimously supported the Responsible Data Center Development Act.
The Accelerator reached 25 of 32 legislative meetings, 53 of 84 advocacy opportunities, and 872 of 1,050 volunteer advocacy hours targeted for the year.
AMPED – Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub
Hub staff and volunteers at a tabling opportunity
Tiny PowerHouse visits our region
Still image from an AMPED video
Energy Advisor,. Emily Hung educates members of Green Orleans on Hub services
4,086 residents engaged across the Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub hosted 156 events, a 12% increase from the previous year. 100 of those events were held in NYSERDA-designated disadvantaged communities. Across all events, the Hub connected with 4,086 residents throughout the Finger Lakes region.
459 Energy Advisor calls
Energy Advisors completed 459 calls (a 42% increase from the previous year) with residents and businesses helping them to navigate clean energy and energy efficiency opportunities.
223 clean energy and energy efficiency installations
Clean energy and energy efficiency installation measures increased 64%, from 144 the previous year to 223. This increase was driven by growing Energy Advisors’ experience in their roles, households completing deferred projects before the federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit ended, the expansion of the EmPower+ program to allow natural gas households to switch to heat pumps through the new Energy Affordability Guarantee, and the launch of the Hub’s “Three Prong” Community Campaign which increased outreach efforts and provided gap funding for projects in Genesee, Orleans, Ontario, and Seneca Counties.
The Highlights
The Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub (AMPED) celebrated its fourth year of offering comprehensive, unbiased guidance to residents, businesses, and organizations to save money, energy, and the planet through energy efficiency and clean energy technology upgrades.
Over the past year, the Finger Lakes Hub and its volunteers engaged more than 4,000 residents across the region at over 156 events, with 64% percent occurring in state-designated disadvantaged communities. As a result, energy advisor calls increased by 42% percent from last year. With more than 223 installation measures, nearly twice as many as last year, our work weatherizing and electrifying buildings helped reduce our second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and strengthened our region’s climate resiliency for decades to come.
We are especially grateful for the partnerships we have with subcontractors at Connected Communities, Ibero-American Action League, BluePrint Geneva, Causewave Community Partners, PathStone, and Rochester Energy Efficiency and Weatherization. Our vetted contractors also rose to meet the challenges of retrofitting the region’s aging and complicated housing stock–we welcomed one new home performance contractor to our vetted installer pool, bringing the total to nine.
Public Engagement Coordinator, Andrea Mclean, inside the Tiny PowerHouse
This year we also developed new ways of reaching community members. We rented the Tiny PowerHouse from the Southern Tier Energy Hub, a mobile and hands-on tool for energy education. For two weeks in June, we brought the Tiny PowerHouse to four of our nine counties (Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne), at locations including parks, libraries, and farmer’s markets. Residents of all ages were able to engage with the PowerHouse’s live solar array and learn about energy consumption and audits.
Additionally, the launch of the Energy Hub’s “Three Prong” Community Campaigns brought new funding opportunities and strengthened contractor and community partnerships in target areas. Residential Energy Advisor, Emily Hung, captained the Genesee & Orleans Campaign, participating and organizing over five outreach events in the target counties, meeting with local municipalities, and providing an impressive $26,685.33 in gap funding for low-to-moderate income projects. These funds went towards air source heat pumps, heat pump hot water heaters, insulation, and health and safety measures.
Multifamily and Mobile Home Energy Advisor, Lee Klein, captained the Mobile Home Campaign, which targeted mobile and manufactured housing in Ontario and Seneca counties. Lee worked with municipalities and Hub subcontractors to spread the word about the campaign, and provided $9,400 towards critical home repairs to enable energy efficiency work (this amount increased dramatically in the month after this report concluded)!
Commercial Energy Advisor, Brett Peters, launched the Nonprofit Community Campaign, which provided critical gap funding to the historically under-resourced nonprofit sector. Two projects have been completed so far, installing air source heat pumps at a historic performing arts center in Ontario County and a house of worship in Monroe County, with four other projects expected to wrap up by October.
Finally, Residential Energy Advisor, Azmery Afnan, is leading a joint campaign with the City of Rochester to promote low-to-moderate income households connecting to both NYSERDA programs and the City’s Office of Financial Empowerment. Over the next year, we anticipate 100 City of Rochester households to complete energy assessments through this campaign, with households in need of critical home repairs being able to connect to additional gap funding.
In response to federal changes around the Inflation Reduction Act, NYSERDA has committed to funding for electrification through the Sustainable Futures Fund, anticipating a healthy budget for the EmPower+ program until at least 2030. We expect further changes to come for market-rate customers as NYSERDA sunsets the Comfort Home Program at the end of 2027, turning over market-rate audits to the utilities.
Additionally, Community Campaigns will not be returning in the next Hub contract; however, the Accelerator’s development team is working hard on finding more grant funding opportunities through local partners, to keep up the momentum and continue to reach underserved communities.
In the coming year, we will continue to provide energy advisement services and engage residents in learning how energy efficiency and clean energy can help save money, improve comfort and health, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Once the Accelerator’s new office is fully “move-in ready” in 2027, the Hub team is planning to offer weekly office hours, where residents may come in for face-to-face application support. Finally, we will continue working with all levels of government to emphasize the importance of investing in the energy future of all New Yorkers so that we achieve a just clean energy transition without leaving any of our neighbors behind.
FY25/26 Impact at a Glance
4,086
residents engaged through AMPED
223
clean energy and efficiency installations
50
CYCG actions completed or underway
872
volunteer advocacy hours
55
climate policy comments and letters
221
active CYCG members
221
Climate Solutions Summit attendees
500+
students engaged around clean energy careers