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

Sullivan County

County or city: Sullivan County, NY Utility territory: Orange & Rockland Utilities for electric across the eastern and southern parts of the county; NYSEG for the western and northern Catskills portions; natural gas service is limited, and many homes heat with oil or propane Verified: May 27, 2026 Source quality: Secondary

What programs apply here

Sullivan is the Catskills county where the Borscht Belt history sits next to a modern tourism economy anchored by Resorts World. Outside the resort corridor, Sullivan is rural, oil- and propane-heated, and home to a higher share of income-qualified households than the rest of the lower Hudson Valley. That mix changes which programs are most relevant. EmPower+ and oil-to-heat-pump conversion are central to the Sullivan story. Programs available at a Sullivan address:

  • NY-Sun: the state's upfront solar incentive.
  • NY-Sun Community Solar: community-solar subscriptions for renters and seasonal residents.
  • NY State Solar Tax Credit: 25% state income tax credit on residential solar.
  • NY State Geothermal Credit: 25% state income tax credit for ground-source heat pumps.
  • NYS Clean Heat: heat pump rebates routed through the utility serving your address.
  • Comfort Home: insulation and air sealing through NYSERDA-certified contractors.
  • EmPower+: free or low-cost upgrades for income-qualified households and the intake path for the federal HEAR rebate. Disproportionately relevant in Sullivan.
  • Solar for All: no-cost community-solar credit for income-qualified households.
  • Orange & Rockland Rebates: the utility layer for O&R-served Sullivan addresses, including the Sealed weatherization partnership and the Smart Savers thermostat reward.
  • NYSEG Rebates: the utility layer for NYSEG-served Catskills addresses, including the Smart Savings Rewards thermostat program and the insulation and air sealing rebate.

What stacks at this address

A typical Sullivan retrofit starts with the oil tank. Removing the tank and converting to a cold-climate heat pump unlocks the higher Clean Heat tier and frees the household from oil-delivery price swings.

  • Oil tank removal + cold-climate heat pump + Clean Heat. The Clean Heat rebate tier improves when the install removes a fossil fuel source. Documented oil-tank removal moves the project into a higher tier under both the O&R and NYSEG portions of Clean Heat. Ask the contractor to provide written documentation of the removal; the higher tier requires it.
  • EmPower+ first when income qualifies. EmPower+ covers envelope, electrification, and heat pump work at little or no cost for qualified Sullivan households. Run EmPower+ before scheduling a paid retrofit. EmPower+ intake also determines federal HEAR eligibility.
  • Comfort Home for market-rate households. When a household does not qualify for EmPower+, Comfort Home is the next step. Tighten the envelope first, then size the heat pump for the new lower load.
  • Geothermal in the Catskills. Larger rural lots in Sullivan often allow horizontal-loop ground-source installs, which are cheaper to drill than vertical loops in denser counties. The Clean Heat rebate stacks with the NY State Geothermal Credit on a state tax return.
  • Solar in a second-home context. Many Sullivan properties are weekend homes. NY-Sun and the NY State Solar Tax Credit apply to a residence regardless of whether it is the homeowner's primary residence, but the federal residential solar credit (which expired December 31, 2025) had stricter primary-residence rules in some configurations. The state tax credit is the only credit lever in 2026.

County or city programs unique to here

Sullivan County does not administer a cash rebate program for residential energy upgrades. The local layer is concentrated in nonprofits and county coordinating bodies:

  • Sullivan Renaissance. A long-running civic foundation that runs community beautification and sustainability projects, including occasional solar education events and tree-planting partnerships. Not a rebate office, but a useful starting point for residents new to local programs.
  • RUPCO. A regional housing nonprofit covering Sullivan, Ulster, and parts of Orange. RUPCO is one of the local intake partners for EmPower+ and weatherization assistance, and a more practical entry point than direct NYSERDA intake for many income-qualified Sullivan households.
  • Sullivan County Division of Planning and Community Development. Coordinates the county's Climate Smart Communities work and runs broadband, housing, and planning programs that intersect with energy upgrades for low-income households.

Who to call locally

  • Sullivan County Division of Planning: (845) 807-0527. The county-level desk for planning and Climate Smart coordination.
  • RUPCO: (845) 331-2140. For EmPower+ intake support and income-qualified weatherization assistance across Sullivan.
  • Orange & Rockland customer service: 1-877-434-4100. For O&R-served Sullivan addresses.
  • NYSEG customer service: 1-800-572-1111. For NYSEG-served Catskills addresses.
  • NYSERDA EmPower+ intake: 1-877-697-6278.

Climate Smart Communities status

Sullivan County is a registered Climate Smart Community. Municipal participation is smaller-scale than in the lower Hudson Valley; the Town of Bethel and the Village of Liberty have task forces in place, and Monticello has explored registration. Municipal certification opens town-level grant funding for resident-facing programs.

Important local dates

  • Oil-delivery cycles set the practical timing for most Sullivan retrofits. The cheapest time to remove an oil tank is in spring, after the heating season, when the tank is near-empty and no fuel is wasted.
  • Clean Heat block funding is allocated annually. Sullivan-area contractors have reported faster turnover in some recent blocks; ask the contractor what they are seeing currently before committing to a calendar.
  • EmPower+ income thresholds are updated each program year. Households that did not qualify in prior years should reapply if circumstances have changed.

Source

NYSERB.com is an independent research site. It is not affiliated with Sullivan County, Orange and Rockland Utilities, NYSEG, 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.oru.com, www.nyseg.com, sullivanny.us on May 27, 2026.

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