Ambitious as these plans sound, the Power Authority has set its sights on even greater goals. Sustainability involves more than just a building’s energy usage or environmental footprint, and a team of employees is gearing up to transform every facet of the Authority’s operations in the coming months and years.

In late 2006, a Sustainability Integration Review Team of NYPA staff was formed to help carry the industry’s best green practices to all areas of NYPA activity. This includes land management procedures, vehicle fleet operations, capital projects and renovation work as the Authority’s
infrastructure needs evolve. A Sustainability Plan will help instill sustainability principles in every facet of NYPA operations.

Once NYPA employees receive training in sustainability principles, the Authority will identify goals and targets and establish performance
measures. Input will be invited from external stakeholders to help the Power Authority maintain its leadership role in this important new field.
When it comes to sustainability, indoor environments are as important as those outdoors.

This is particularly true when otherwise beneficial energy-saving practices result in tightly sealed buildings that limit the amount of fresh air coming in from outside.

In 2006, NYPA joined other state agencies in improving its indoor air quality by switching to environmentally friendly cleaning products that are biodegradable and low in toxicity. In line with state recommendations, all NYPA-owned sites are introducing cleaning products certified by an independent, non-profit organization, Green Seal.

Most of the Power Authority’s sites include multiple structures that keep administration, maintenance and warehousing duties separate from
generation and transmission operations. In Western New York, the Niagara Power Project in Lewiston, for example, has 10 buildings kept clean by its janitorial staff. The Niagara project is also home to the Power Vista, one of three visitors centers NYPA runs for public use.

The Power Authority’s large-scale purchase of these “green” cleaning solutions is handled through the Clark Energy Center at Marcy. The new policy has the dual benefit of improving indoor air quality for employees and visitors alike while helping to create a market that could encourage greater production and lower prices for environmentally benign products. Besides green cleaners, other sustainable materials that will be introduced at NYPA sites include better types of paints, flooring, wall coverings and furniture.

How NYPA benefits
Western New York

• Niagara Power Project produces some of the nation’s least-expensive electricity.
• Energy-efficiency projects at public facilities save taxpayers $3.5 million a year and improve air quality.
• More than 70 percent of manufacturing jobs in Niagara and Erie counties are tied to the State’s low-cost power program.
• NYPA fosters leading attractions such as
  Niagara Falls State Park and ArtPark, and sponsors the Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival.

Top: There is no better symbol of clean energy than Niagara Falls. NYPA generates vast amounts of clean, renewable energy at its Niagara Power Project, and is working on other “green” initiatives there and around the state.
Above Right: A worker at Quebecor World Buffalo Inc. in Western New York uses a microscope to examine a printing plate.
Above Left: The Power Vista at the Niagara project, overlooking the Niagara River Gorge, is one of three visitors centers where NYPA promotes messages of sustainability and environmental awareness to the public.