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New York Energy Resource Bureau
An independent homeowner guide to NY energy incentives
Source quality: Secondary

Orange County

County or city: Orange County, NY Utility territory: Split. Orange & Rockland Utilities (O&R) serves most of western and central Orange, including Middletown, Goshen, Warwick, Monroe, Chester, and Port Jervis. Central Hudson serves most of eastern Orange along the Hudson River, including Newburgh, New Windsor, Cornwall, and Marlborough. Natural gas service varies; some towns have O&R gas, others rely on propane or fuel oil Verified: May 27, 2026 Source quality: Secondary

What programs apply here

Orange is the most operationally complex of the Central Hudson territory counties because the utility footprint is split. Which rebate page applies to a given Orange address depends on whose name is on the bill. Most of the statewide programs apply at every Orange address; only the utility layer changes. The programs that apply countywide:

  • NY-Sun: the state's upfront solar incentive.
  • NY-Sun Community Solar: subscription solar for renters and shaded roofs.
  • NY State Solar Tax Credit: state income tax credit on the post-rebate cost of a residential solar install.
  • NY State Geothermal Credit: state income tax credit on ground-source heat pump systems.
  • NYS Clean Heat: heat pump rebates delivered through your specific utility.
  • Comfort Home: insulation and air sealing packages through NYSERDA-certified contractors.
  • EmPower+: free or low-cost upgrades for income-qualified households; the delivery path for the federal HEAR rebate.
  • Solar for All: no-cost community solar subscription for income-qualified Orange residents.

The utility layer splits as follows:

  • Central Hudson Residential Rebates: applies if your bill is from Central Hudson. Most of eastern Orange falls here, including Newburgh, New Windsor, Cornwall, Marlborough, and parts of Plattekill.
  • Orange & Rockland Rebates: applies if your bill is from O&R. Most of western and central Orange falls here, including Middletown, Goshen, Warwick, Monroe, Chester, and Port Jervis.

Check the name on your most recent electric bill before assuming which rebate applies. The utility boundary does not always follow town lines.

What stacks at this address

The stack depends on which utility serves the address. The geothermal state credit and the NY-Sun stack apply equally on both sides; the utility-specific tiers do not. The combinations to be aware of:

  • Central Hudson side (eastern Orange). Central Hudson publishes a tier-by-tier heat pump rebate schedule keyed to home size, single-family versus apartment, and whether the install removes a fossil fuel heating source. Newburgh and the surrounding river towns still have heavy oil and gas heating; an air-source install that removes the oil tank moves to Central Hudson's top air-source tier. See Central Hudson Residential Rebates for the figures.
  • O&R side (western Orange). O&R's rebates run through the same NYS Clean Heat framework, but the published amounts are returned by the Clean Heat rebate finder rather than the utility's overview page. O&R also operates Electric Advantage, an invitation-only gas-elimination program for customers whose service connects to a gas main scheduled for replacement; if your Middletown or Goshen address is on a targeted main, the program covers all-electric upgrades at minimal cost.
  • Geothermal stack, either utility. A ground-source heat pump install pays a utility rebate and a separate 25% state geothermal credit at tax time. Larger rural lots in Warwick, Goshen, and Wallkill have the geology and acreage to make a loop field economic.
  • Solar plus state tax credit, either utility. NY-Sun upfront plus the 25% state solar tax credit on post-rebate cost. The federal residential solar credit expired December 31, 2025.
  • EmPower+ for income-qualified. One application pulls in state-level weatherization and federal HEAR. For O&R-served income-qualified customers, the Electric Advantage program may also apply if the address is on a targeted gas main; the two are different programs run by different administrators.

County or city programs unique to here

  • Orange County Office of Economic and Community Development. Coordinates the federal Weatherization Assistance Program and other community-action funding for Orange households.
  • RECAP (Regional Economic Community Action Program). Newburgh-based nonprofit. Delivers federal weatherization, energy education, and HEAP outreach across Orange. The EmPower+ intake routes WAP-eligible applicants here.
  • City of Newburgh sustainability work. Newburgh has run residential outreach on solar and weatherization through partnerships with NYSERDA and Central Hudson. The city participates in Climate Smart Communities at the municipal level.
  • Hudson Valley Community Power. Community choice aggregation in select Orange municipalities. Opt-in 100% renewable supply at municipality-negotiated rates. Coverage varies; check your town's energy committee page for current status.
  • Warwick Valley Solarize and similar municipal solarize campaigns. Periodic group-buy campaigns run in Warwick, New Windsor, and a rotating set of other Orange towns. Vetted installers, time-limited pricing.

Who to call locally

  • Orange County Office of Economic and Community Development: (845) 615-3700. The county-level office for weatherization and community-action coordination.
  • RECAP: (845) 567-6118. The Newburgh nonprofit delivering federal weatherization for income-qualified Orange households.
  • Central Hudson residential customer service: for Central-Hudson-served addresses, rebate questions route through cenhud.com.
  • Orange & Rockland residential customer service: for O&R-served addresses, rebate questions route through oru.com. Electric Advantage inquiries go to npa@oru.com.

Climate Smart Communities status

Orange County is a Certified Climate Smart Community. Several Orange municipalities hold certification at the bronze or silver tier, including the City of Newburgh, the Town of Warwick, the Town of New Windsor, and the Village of Goshen. Certification opens access to NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities grant funding for resident-facing projects. Verify the current tier on the state's CSC portal before citing a specific certification level in dated material.

Important local dates

  • Central Hudson and O&R rebate budgets both run on NYS Clean Heat annual block allocations. No published program-end dates as of May 27, 2026; check the Clean Heat finder before scheduling work.
  • O&R's Electric Advantage program operates on a rolling, address-targeted basis tied to gas main replacement schedules. There is no application window in the standard sense; eligibility arrives by invitation.
  • Comfort Home and EmPower+ have no published end dates as of May 27, 2026.

Source

NYSERB.com is an independent research site. It is not affiliated with Orange County, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Orange and Rockland Utilities, NYSERDA, the State of New York, or any utility. Verify all program details and incentive amounts directly with the relevant program administrator before making any financial decision.

Verified against www.cenhud.com, www.oru.com, www.orangecountygov.com on May 27, 2026.

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