Politics on the Hudson

First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson today said she will continue the “greening” of the governor’s mansion started by former First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer.

Paige Paterson, right at today’s event, announced that the first solar panels were installed at the Rockefeller Pool House at the governor’s mansion as part of an overall effort to reduce energy consumption at the mansion by 50 percent.

Wall Spitzer started the idea last year and had planned to move forward with additional environmental initiatives before her husband’s unceremonious resignation March 17.

But Paige Paterson said the effort will continue as part of $750,000 in environmentally friendly upgrades to the mansion, such as replacing appliances, using non-toxic cleaning products, using hybrid electric vehicles and purchasing New York-grown, organic, produce.

Already, the mansion has reduced energy consumption by 15 percent, aides said.

“The executive mansion will continue it’s transformation into not only a showcase of cutting edge green building technology, but an example of what every New Yorker can do to make their home into a greener, healthier environment,” the first lady said.

Of course, it’s easy to use less energy at the mansion when no one lives there, as was largely the case with former Gov. George Pataki and Spitzer.

Yet the Patersons intend to live more days at the mansion, the governor has said, and they plan to spend the summer at the mansion after their teenage son finishes the school year in New York City.

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