[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Hudson Mayor William H. Hallenbeck Jr. at press conference, Wed., May 8. Also present were Mayor's Aide Eugene Shetsky, Viridian associate and former state Assemblyman Patrick Manning, Supervisor Sarah Sterling, Common Council President Don Moore and city Department of Public Works Superintendent Rob Perry. (Photo: Ed Fertik)[/caption]

Mayor William H. Hallenbeck Jr. announced Wed., May 8, the city of Hudson will now purchase its electric supply as 100 percent locally produced wind power, the only community in New York to do so. The power will be purchased through retailer Viridian Energy as part of the Pure Green program. Hallenbeck made the announcement at the city's central firehouse, surrounded by city officials and Viridian representatives. Hallenbeck said, "Today, we embark on the future of Hudson, saving taxpayers' hard earned dollars where we are able to while doing something right for the environment and our state's economy." Common Council President Don Moore called the decision a welcome milestone for Hudson. According to a statement released by the Mayor's Office, the city will save more than $41,000 in the coming year and nearly $500,000 in the next decade as a result of the change. The power will be purchased from retailer Viridian and delivered by National Grid beginning next month.