Priority Climate Action Plan

The Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) is a narrative report that includes a focused list of near-term, high priority, implementation-ready measures to reduce GHG emissions and an analysis of GHG emissions reductions that would be achieved through implementation. The Genesee Finger Lakes Regional PCAP is focused on three sectors: Municipal Operations; Transportation; and Buildings.

The development of this Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP or Plan) helps achieve three of the EPA’s broad objectives:

  • Tackle damaging climate pollution while supporting the creation of good jobs and lowering energy costs for families.
  • Accelerate work to address environmental injustice and empower community-driven solutions in overburdened neighborhoods.
  • Deliver cleaner air by reducing harmful air pollution in places where people live, work, play, and go to school.

The PCAP identifies a strategy to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in municipal operations, the transportation sector, and the building sector within the project area, based on the 2010 Finger Lakes Greenhouse Gas Inventory completed by NYSERDA.

Project Area

The project area includes nine-counties including the Rochester MSA (Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates counties), and three neighboring counites Genesee, Wyoming, and Seneca. The project area is part of the Genesee-Finger Lakes (G-FL) Region which includes the 188 municipalities. The project area stretches south from the shores of Lake Ontario to the low rolling hills of the Appalachian Highlands. This area is home to an abundance of natural resources, rich farmland, and important centers of secondary education, industry, and tourism. The project area is home to about one- million residents, a population aging while becoming more diverse.

The Rochester PCAP Project Area includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates County

Rochester PCAP Project Area

PCAP Sector Analysis

  • Transportation Sector

    Most greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from the combustion of petroleum-based products, like gasoline and diesel fuel, in internal combustion engines. The largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and light-duty trucks. These sources account for over half of the emissions from the transportation sector.

  • Building Sector

    The building sectors include all homes and commercial businesses (excluding municipal operations, agricultural and industrial activities). Greenhouse gas emissions from this sector come from direct emissions including fossil fuel combustion for heating and cooling needs, management of waste and wastewater, and leaks from refrigerants in homes and businesses, as well as indirect emissions that occur offsite but are associated with use of electricity by homes and businesses.

  • Municipal Operations

    The PCAP will examine GHG emissions from municipally run sites, facilities, and operations within the and develop strategies to mitigate future GHG emissions.