A main element of the Power Authority’s “clean and green” philosophy is its investment in energy-efficiency and other clean-energy initiatives.
In 2006, NYPA passed the $1 billion mark in total such investments at 2,400 public facilities across New York State, including schools, police precincts, fire stations, hospitals, museums, libraries and government buildings. As a result, taxpayers save nearly $100 million a year on energy bills from completed projects.
Because of the decreased need for power generation, the projects avoid annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 750,000 tons, and reduce oil use by 1.8 million barrels a year. The reduction in peak electricity use, more than 200,000 kilowatts, is enough to serve more than 160,000 homes.
Also during 2006, the Power Authority set a new record of nearly $118 million invested in energy-efficiency and clean-energy projects in one year.
These projects range from new lighting to new heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, electric motors, sensors and automated energy-management systems. Clean energy technologies include solar power, fuel cells and microturbines.
In 2006, NYPA directed funding to more than 250 projects at public facilities. The projects included replacing boilers and hot water piping at New York City’s North River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Upper Manhattan, total price tag of $37 million; work at nearly 40 police stations in New York City; work at State University of New York (SUNY) campuses in Brockport and Canton; and projects for the City of Jamestown.
Clean-energy investments during the year were for fuel cells at the Bronx Zoo and a transit facility in Queens, and an innovative fuel cell at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.
Past initiatives have included replacing more than 186,000 refrigerators at public housing in New York City and Buffalo with more-efficient units; replacing polluting coal-fired furnaces at public schools in New York, Buffalo and on Long Island with boilers fueled by cleaner natural gas or oil; and providing more than $10 million in lighting upgrades for New York City subways.
Projects around the state have been at such facilities as the Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica and Rome; Perry B. Duryea State Office Building in Hauppauge; and the Empire State Plaza and State Capitol building in Albany.
