Islip Wants Long Island's First Solar Farm

ISLIP, NY (AP) -- In Islip, streetlamps are going green and a garbage dump may be transformed into Long Island's first ``solar farm.''

LISTEN: Going Green in Islip

Islip Town officials listed a dozen ways the town could save hundreds of thousands of dollars this year. They range from printing town documents on both sides of the page to replacing burned-out streetlamps with high-tech ``induction'' lights.

A new Town Energy Committee is considering other ideas, including biodiesel-powered town vehicles and a field of solar panels over the Blydenburgh Road Landfill in Hauppauge to create energy.

The town is seeking federal funding for the solar project.

Islip is the seventh Long Island town to create a Clean Energy Action Plan.

Islip Town Councilman John Edwards says the induction streetlamps use about half the power of the town's regular streetlamps. So far, the town has replaced just 30 of its 30,000 street lamps.

However, Neal Lewis of the Neighborhood Network says Islip's program could go further. He says the town hasn't changed it's building codes to require new houses meet ``Energy Star'' efficiency standards, which are 30 percent more efficient than average construction.

Edwards says Islip is considering the policy.