NEW PALTZ - A new firehouse which will soon be completed in New Paltz might be a sign of things to come as the state shifts to a clean energy economy.

The firehouse, on Henry W. Dubois Drive at the corner of North Putt Corners Road, will be all-electric, with no fossil fuels used for daily operation (aside from the gas used to power the trucks, of course).

It is replacing two old fire stations, one of which was on the same site as the new one and was demolished. The department also operated out of the village's municipal building at 25 Plattekill Ave., about a mile and a half from where the new firehouse is being built. 

Jen Metzger, a former state senator who is now a policy advisor for New Yorkers for Clean Power, said the firehouse will "show this is do-able" in other construction sites in the coming years.

"The state is in the middle of developing its climate plan, which will reduce and eventually eliminate climate-damaging emissions," she said.

While the firehouse is technically a village of New Paltz property, the fire department also serves the surrounding town of New Paltz under a contract between the two communities.

Heat pumps will be used to circulate water, and town Supervisor Neil Bettez said there are radiant floors in the truck bays, so heat can be quickly recovered after the doors are opened in cold weather.

Bettez credited village Mayor Tim Rogers, who could not be reached in time for this story, with being the one who suggested re-thinking the whole project after the original bids, for a standard construction project, came in high.

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The final project cost is expected to be more than $7 million.

Part of the cost is coming from money the town and village received in relief funds following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 but had not yet spent. Whatever is not covered by that will be paid through bond sales.

While it is not part of the original construction, plans call for the building to be adapted to solar energy eventually.

Fire Chief Cory Wirthmann, who is also the village building inspector, said the new firehouse will reduce the community's overall operating costs for the department in the long run, although it has no direct impact on firefighting itself.

The fire department said on its Facebook page that the new firehouse should be operational in mid-June.

The Times Herald-Record was unable to reach a member of the fire department's board of directors in time for this story.

New Paltz likely is among the first communities in the state to have a firehouse that might be labelled "green."

John D'Alessandro, secretary of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, said there is no central reporting agency that keeps track of such things, but it is probably safe to say there are not many yet.

And because of construction costs, it also is difficult to say how soon such things might become widespread.

"The cost of a fire station can be quite high," D'Alessandro said. "The more you do, the higher the price. And because often they might be subject to taxpayer approval, you have to really substantiate the cost."

D'Alessandro added that whatever kind of firehouse is built, the community has to live with it for a long time.

"You're probably going to get 75 to 100 years of service out of that building," he said.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, the Poughkeepsie Journal and the Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com  or on Twitter @MikeRandall845