HUNTS POINT—Krasdale, a 113 year old family owned and operated business is making The Bronx a little greener.
The grocery distribution company, which has been operating out of Hunts Point in the South Bronx for nearly half a century, announced yesterday that it will be installing a 2.7 megawatt solar rooftop system atop its warehouse.
The company will be working with PowerFlex, a national provider of clean and sustainable energy infrastructure which will install over 6,500 solar panels at the Hunts Point warehouse which, once operational, will be capable of generating clean energy equivalent to removing 524 automobiles off the road or offsetting 5.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide.
“After nearly a half century in Hunts Point, we’re thrilled to be able to support our community by creating a greener New York,” said Krasdale President Gus Lebiak. “Our focus has always been on giving back to the communities we serve, and this project represents our continuing commitment to the Bronx. We want to thank the City of New York and PowerFlex for partnering with us on this initiative.”
Beyond the obvious environmental benefits of utilizing underutilized rooftop spaces to provide clean, renewable energy, the system will also be able to help reduce energy costs to about 300 local residents by up to 10% through its designation as a community solar project according to a press release from Krasdale.
In an area long plagued by some of the highest rates not just in the city but in the nation, sustainable solutions are a welcome relief.
Hunts Point is an area that is plagued with truck traffic due to it being home to the largest food distribution industrial park in the world where diesel trucks are coming in and out of the neighborhood twenty four hours a day.
While initiatives like these such as the Krasdale installation are important, we need to provide even greater solutions such as requiring more electric trucks to so that we can drastically reduce the emissions that plague this and most communities of the South Bronx.
“New York City is closer to achieving its energy goals with Krasdale’s new solar installation at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “This project will improve air quality for New Yorkers and contribute to a cleaner, more resilient electricity grid. We look forward to advancing additional sustainability projects at the Food Distribution Center and delivering much-needed benefits to the Hunts Point community.”
We can only hope that more businesses operating in The Bronx follow Krasdale’s example in making The Bronx a little cleaner and healthier.
Installation is expected to take nine months with completion slated for some time next year.
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