Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. recently joined the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation to launch the Green Jobs - Green New York outreach program, which was will reduce energy use and costs for home and building owners in the Bronx, reported NY1, Time Warner Cable's news channel in New York City.

"We're trying to save them money, save energy, so that the power plants have to produce less energy and have less greenhouse emissions, but also improve the environment within the home," Kate Shackford of the BOEDC told the news source.

The BOEDC recently received more than $500,000 from the state for its two-year program, which will be used to fund  inspections of residential buildings with one to four units and small businesses, to see how they might benefit from using green energy practices, said the source

New York also showcased its use of energy efficiency by using green energy practices during the festivities at Times Square to ring in the new year.

The Times Square Ball that drops at midnight is now composed of energy efficient LED lighting, allowing the city to promote better energy consumption when still celebrating the new year with a lights spectacle.