East Meadow, NY - With a fleet of new compressed national gas vehicles (CNG) as a backdrop, Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, joined by Nassau County Legislators David Denenberg (D-Merrick), Jeffrey Toback (D-Oceanside), and David Mejias (D-North Massapequa), government officials, and corporate leaders, will announce the County's new Energy Policy and Action Plan on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 at 11 a.m. at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater in Eisenhower Park.

"With gas prices climbing week by week, something needs to be done to lower energy costs and reduce pollution in our neighborhoods," County Executive Suozzi said. "The Energy Policy and Action Plan will outline some simple ways to make this a greener, cleaner Nassau, and illustrate what your County government is doing to save the taxpayer money."

The Energy Policy and Action Plan is designed to achieve long-term goals in the way energy is used in the County through conservation, improved air quality and the reduction of dependence on oil. Upgrades in energy efficiency in twelve County buildings improvements will alone save the County $2.2 million per year.

Nassau County has purchased 40 new CNG vehicles, 12 ethanol flex-fuel vehicles, and two hybrid electric vehicles, and received two fully electric vehicles from the Long Island Power Authority. The vehicles will greatly reduce the amount of pollution produced by conventional vehicles.

"Nassau County tends to lead by example, and having a fleet of environmentally-friendly vehicles is one way to do that," County Executive Suozzi said. "These vehicles give us one of the largest municipal alternative-fuel fleets in the state."

A greater emphasis is being placed on renewable energy, as the County will purchased 25 percent of its electricity from such sources as wind power and hydroelectricity, by the year 2010. Purchase of this power will begin in 2006.

Mejias, Denenberg and Toback proposed legislation Tuesday that would offer an exemption from the County portion of sales tax to homeowners installing solar energy systems. Suffolk County approved a similar measure last week and New York State lawmakers have exempted such power systems from sales tax, in addition to providing tax credits.

The elimination of the county portion of the sales taxes, combined with the state sales tax exemption and a 50 percent LIPA rebate, will now lower the cost of a small residential unit to $9,000 down from a little more than $26,000. In addition, the Nassau County sales tax exemption doesn't require homeowners to purchase an entire household system to qualify. Homeowners can receive the exemption by purchasing and installing any household solar energy system, such as a solar powered water heater or by having even just one room of their home heated by solar energy.

"This tax break for solar energy will encourage our residents to move away from non-renewable foreign energy sources and focus on clean renewable energy that can be generated right here in our community," said Legislator Toback.

"County Executive Suozzi and the members of the Nassau Legislature are to be congratulated for proposing that Nassau County mirror recently enacted state legislation sign by Governor Pataki to eliminate local sales and use taxes on the installation of solar systems within the county," said Long Island Power Authority Chairman Richard M. Kessel. "By eliminating these local taxes, Nassau joins the state in removing its portion of the sales and use taxes, and when added to the benefit of the new increased state tax credits for using solar power, the new financial incentives will increase the use of solar power on Long Island, which will help reduce the island's dependence on fossil fuels."