ALBANY: Seymour Selected to Head Power Authority—The Power Authority's trustees on March 13 selected Joseph Seymour, former commissioner of the state Office of General Services (OGS), as NYPA's chairman and chief executive officer. The election of Seymour at a meeting here came two weeks after the state Senate confirmed his nomination by Governor George E. Pataki to serve on the Authority's board. Seymour succeeds C.D. "Rapp" Rappleyea, who stepped down as NYPA's head on Jan. 31. Seymour has had more than 30 years of government experience in administrative, managerial and economic development roles. During his four years at OGS, Seymour worked closely with the Governor in developing and implementing the Albany Plan, aimed at modernizing state office facilities and revitalizing downtown business districts. Many of NYPA's projects in Albany, including lighting upgrades and other energy-efficiency measures at the Capitol Building, Empire State Plaza and the Swan Street government office complex, have fallen under the plan's umbrella. Seymour and NYPA have also worked together in implementing the state's alternative-fueled vehicle program and energy-efficiency improvements at state office buildings and other facilities.

New York: Real Estate Group Backs NYPA Generators—The Owners Committee on Electric Rates, representing large commercial and industrial real estate owners here, has endorsed NYPA's efforts to install 10 small, clean electric generators in the city and one on Long Island to avert power shortages this summer. In a recent letter to the Power Authority, Peter DiCapua, the president of the committee, wrote that "the new gas-turbine generators will be the cleanest power plants in New York City, thanks to the Power Authority's investment of an additional $5 million at each unit for the installation of the most advanced available equipment to control air emissions, as well as noise." Noting that NYPA has committed to offset the limited emissions from the plants through reductions elsewhere, he wrote, "we are confident that the new units not only will meet urgent power supply needs, but will do so in a manner that does not adversely affect the city's environment."

KINGSTON: Schools Earn ENERGY STAR With NYPA's Help— Energy-efficiency improvements provided by the Power Authority were a key factor in the Kingston School District's selection as a 2001 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in a competition conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Hudson Valley district was one of only 12 winners, and the only K-12 school district recognized, in the "energy efficiency for buildings" category. District officials will be honored at a March 20 ceremony in Washington, D. C. NYPA's comprehensive program included lighting upgrades, boiler replacements and renovations, and the installation of high-efficiency motors for heating and ventilation systems at 15 schools and six support buildings in the district. The $7 million program will save more than $325,000 annually. The ENERGY STAR program is a voluntary partnership of nearly 7,000 private and public organizations, the EPA and DOE to promote energy efficiency.

WHITE PLAINS: Postal Delivery Goes Electric—Governor George E. Pataki has announced that five electric postal delivery vans built at the former Griffiss Air Base in Rome, N.Y., are undergoing cold-weather testing by the U.S. Postal Service here. The Power Authority helped bring the Griffiss site to the attention of Virginia-based Baker Electromotive, which produced the vans in partnership with Th!nk, a Ford Motor Company subsidiary. The electric long-life vehicles (ELLV) were among the first of 500 vans to be built by the Baker/Th!nk team for the Postal Service under a contract that could be expanded to as many as 6,000 vehicles. The Governor said the project is one of many clean-fuel-vehicle manufacturing efforts that "are establishing Upstate New York as the leading producer of electric vehicles in North America." NYPA president Gene Zeltmann said the Power Authority also helped the Postal Service test larger two-ton electric delivery trucks in New York City, in a project that has led to contracts for 20 additional trucks to be built in Schenectady by Super Steel and Massachusetts-based Solectria.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: NYPA President Named EVAA Co-chair— Gene Zeltmann, the Power Authority's president and chief operating officer, has been elected co-chair of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas (EVAA), an industry association working to advance electric transportation technologies. He was named to fill the term of former NYPA Chairman C.D. "Rapp" Rappleyea, who had been elected EVAA co-chair in December. The other co-chair is William Ball, director of strategic planning for General Motors. "I look forward to working with EVAA to expand public awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of electric transportation technologies and encourage government policies to put those benefits to work," Zeltmann said. He noted that NYPA's own electric transportation program is part of Governor George E. Pataki's efforts to promote the electric vehicle industry and increase the use of clean fuel vehicles in New York State.

MARCY: Clark Energy Center Reaches Safety Milestone— The Power Authority's Clark Energy Center here marked a safety milestone on March 9, completing two years without a recordable personal-injury accident involving its work force of nearly 100 people. A recordable accident, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is any on-the-job injury that requires treatment by a medical professional. The center's staff, which includes transmission linemen, electricians, technicians, mechanics and engineers, monitors and maintains nearly 500 circuit-miles of power lines and switchyards delivering low-cost power around the state. All other NYPA facilities either met or exceeded their safety goals for 2000, logging the organization's best safety performance on record. "This is concrete example of how the Power Authority's commitment to safety translates to the work place," said NYPA President Gene Zeltmann, "The achievement at Clark, along with the high standards followed at our other facilities, demonstrates that our employees fully grasp the importance of safe worker practices and know how to implement them."

SACKETS HARBOR: NYPA Co-sponsors Seaway Trails Awards— The Power Authority and Seaway Trail, Inc., are co-sponsoring the 2001 Seaway Trail National Trails Day Awards, recognizing the efforts of individuals and non-profit organizations in maintaining and enhancing the diverse natural and cultural resources of the Seaway Trail. A winner will be selected from each of the 10 counties along the 454-mile route, in Western and Northern New York, of the state's only National Scenic Byway. Send nominations, with name, address, telephone number, e-mail address (if available), nomination category—land resources, water resources or resource interpretation—and a detailed work description, by May 5 to Seaway Trail, Inc., P.O. Box 660, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685. Nominations can also be faxed to (315) 646-1004 or e-mailed to info@seawaytrail.com. Call (800) 732-9298 for more information.

In the Community: The Power Authority co-sponsored the Westchester County Legislators' breakfast, Crowne Plaza, White Plains, March 14….In the first half of March, NYPA staff members presented energy-education programs in schools around the state. They appeared at schools in Waddington and Gouverneur in Northern New York, and in Holley, Arcade, Gowanda, North Tonawanda, Letchworth and Lockport in Western New York.