BRENTWOOD: NYPA to Help School District Conserve Energy— Gov. George E. Pataki has directed the Power Authority to assist the Brentwood School District in launching a major effort to conserve energy and reduce energy costs to taxpayers. The move followed a recent Executive Order in which the Governor mandated a 35 percent reduction in energy consumption by all state agencies by 2010 and directed NYPA and other state authorities to help school districts and local governments to achieve similar savings. NYPA engineers will conduct a detailed inspection at each facility in the district to identify opportunities for energy savings in lighting, heating and ventilation systems, boilers and furnaces. The improvements could achieve savings of several hundred thousand dollars a year, with reductions of 20-30 percent in lighting costs alone. State Senators Caesar Trunzo and Owen Johnson and Assemblyman Thomas Barraga applauded what Trunzo called "a win for the environment and a win for the taxpayers of the Brentwood School District." The Power Authority has completed more than 1,000 energy-efficiency projects at over 2,500 schools, colleges and other government buildings throughout the state, saving taxpayers more than $70 million a year.

LEWISTON: NYPA Reopens Newly Renovated Power Vista—Power Authority Chairman Joseph Seymour on Aug. 28 officially reopened the newly renovated Power Vista, the admission-free visitors center at the Niagara Power Project, calling it "a world-class facility that will give a significant boost to the Niagara Frontier tourism industry." State Senator George Maziarz, Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and Niagara Falls Mayor Irene Elia welcomed the reopening of the Power Vista, with Maziarz saying that “it signals the resurgence of our area visitor attractions.” The center features more than 50 new interactive exhibits focusing on energy and local history. Other longtime, crowd-pleasing exhibits were modernized during the nearly three-year renovation. Over 6 million visitors have come to the Power Vista since it opened in 1963, two years after the start of operation of the Niagara project.

NIAGARA FALLS: Seymour Seeks MEUA Help on Hydro Issue— Citing a long history of joint interest in hydroelectric issues, NYPA Chairman Joseph Seymour on Aug. 28 urged members of the state's Municipal Electric Utilities Association (MEUA) “to join us in supporting legislative reform of the hydro relicensing process.” Speaking at MEUA's annual meeting here, Seymour cited the push for an effective relicensing bill in Congress as a major example of how NYPA and the MEUA can cooperate in achieving common goals. He said current law could produce lengthy delays, significant additional costs and higher electric rates. Seymour also encouraged a renewed emphasis on economic development in MEUA systems, urging delegates to take advantage of an existing NYPA program that provides electricity from hydroelectric and other economical sources for the creation of jobs in communities served by the systems. The state’s 51 municipal electric systems and rural cooperatives receive low-cost power from NYPA’s Niagara Power Project.

NEW YORK: Hearings on Proposed Power Plant Set for Sept. 10— State Public Service Commission (PSC) hearings on the Power Authority's proposed 500-megawatt combined-cycle power plant in Astoria, Queens, are scheduled to begin on Sept. 10 at the PSC's offices at One Penn Plaza in Manhattan. The hearings are part of the final phase for receiving comments and evidentiary material from interested parties and intervenors. After the hearings, PSC and state Department of Environmental Conservation judges will issue recommended decisions on whether to approve permits and certificates for construction of the facility. The plant, planned for a site adjacent to NYPA's Charles Poletti Power Project, is needed to continue to supply economical electricity to NYPA's governmental customers in New York City and Westchester County.

HARTSDALE: NYPA Employee Honored as EPRI 'Champion'— Shalom Zelingher, a Hartsdale resident who is the Power Authority's director of research and technology development, has been recognized by the electricity industry's research arm for helping to make the world's most advanced transmission control device a reality. EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, named Zelingher as its Product Champion Award winner for 2000 for his role in developing the Convertible Static Compensator (CSC), being installed at NYPA's Marcy Substation, near Utica, to help strengthen power supplies across the state. Ceremonies marking completion of phase one of the project were held in June. When fully operational next summer, the CSC will increase the state's transmission capacity by enough electricity to serve more than 200,000 homes. By permitting more power to flow on existing transmission lines, the CSC will reduce the need for new lines.

HERE AND THERE: Wild Happenings at Visitors Centers—A wide array of wild and not-so-wild animals will star at admission-free wildlife festivals at Power Authority visitors centers on Saturday Sept. 22. Visitors to the Niagara Power Project's visitors center, Lewiston, can see a bald eagle, catch fish and learn about primates in a Monkey Business show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project's visitors center, North Blenheim, will feature search-and-rescue dog demonstrations, a petting zoo and a wild hayride, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those attending the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project's visitors center, Massena, can watch an animal show with an alligator snapping turtle and a baby cub from the Great Escape Theme Park in Lake George, create wildlife artwork and see live reptiles and snakes. The centers will also feature a variety of wildlife rehabilitation and conservation activities.

WINTHROP: NYPA Assists North Country Recreational Groups— The Power Authority has moved to assist the Tri-Town Minor Hockey Association with the refurbishment of the community center arena here. Randy Crissman, NYPA's regional manager for Northern New York, presented a $5,000 check to the association at an Aug. 13 ceremony attended by Town Supervisors John Dawson of Brasher and Lowell Kelsey of Stockholm. "When this arena was built in 1972, the Power Authority was one of the organizations that helped then," Crissman said. "I'm happy to be here to help provide the funds that renew this facility and keep it useful for years into the future." The towns of Brasher and Stockholm jointly operate the facility, but the association is in charge of fund raising. Crissman also noted that at the request of the Brasher-Stockholm Recreation Commission, the Power Authority is providing poles to help illuminate an athletic field. The poles, four provided without charge and two at cost, will be installed by a Power Authority crew.

In the Community—Craig Banner, NYPA's manager of municipal and cooperative marketing, was scheduled to guide members of the Municipal Electric Utility Association (MEUA) on a tour of the newly renovated Power Vista visitors center at the Niagara Power Project, Lewiston, Aug. 30….Joanne Willmott, NYPA's community relations manager for Western New York, was slated to speak on Niagara Power and its Benefits, to MEUA members at their annual meeting, Niagara Falls, Aug. 29….The band Mirage performed at a summer concert series co-sponsored by the Power Authority, Lock 20, Canal Park, Marcy, Aug. 23….NYPA presented checks for $1,000 each to the Olive Fire Department and its Rescue Squad, which are the first to respond to emergencies at the Power Authority's Ashokan Project, Aug. 20.