NEWS
Get Listed! Comes to Rochester with Economic Development Event For NY Businesses To Find Wind Power Developers, April 12
Contact:
Connie M. Cullen, NYPA
914-3908190
connie.cullen@nypa.gov
Staci Henning, Greater Rochester Enterprise
585-530-6211
staci@greaterrochesterenterprise.com
March 29, 2010
WHITE PLAINS—New York Power Authority (NYPA) President and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Kessel announced this week that Rochester will be the site for the second Get Listed! business-to-business conference, to help support and grow New York State's clean energy economy through development of the wind power industry. Get Listed! is being held, in collaboration with the Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE), on April 12 from 1 to 3pm at Monroe Community College. This follows the successful initial Get Listed!, which took place in Buffalo in February and had close to 200 business representatives in attendance.
NYPA issued a request for proposals (RFP) last December for what could be the nation’s first fresh water wind project, the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project (GLOW), to help increase the use of renewable energy and spur economic development opportunities.
“Rochester and the surrounding region, with its outstanding business community, are a natural fit for another Get Listed! conference as it gives the Power Authority the opportunity to inform even more New York businesses on the match-making resource, the GLOW Business Registry, available on NYPA’s Web site. By attending Get Listed!, businesses will become aware of the many and varied types of industries needed by the wind power industry especially for the Power Authority’s Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project,” said Richard M. Kessel, president and chief executive officer, NYPA.
“Rochester, with its talented workforce, is home to industries and businesses of all types and sizes making it a perfect place to hold the next Get Listed!,” said Michael Townsend, chairman, NYPA Board of Trustees and a Rochester attorney. “Wind power developers will be pleasantly surprised when they use the GLOW Business Registry and see the enormous number of local resources in the Rochester area ready, willing and able to fill their needs.”
Get Listed! is free but reservations are requested. Businesses can reserve a seat online via a link on the home page of NYPA’s Web site www.nypa.gov or by contacting Heidi Schmitt, Greater Rochester Enterprise, 585-530-6204. While attending Get Listed! is helpful, businesses can sign up to be listed on the GLOW Business Registry, without attending the conference, at www.nypa.gov/glowbusinessregistry.
The program for Get Listed! includes presentations about the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project; resources needed for development, construction, maintenance and operation of offshore wind projects; and a panel discussion on getting your business involved with an introduction to economic development incentives in the state.
NYPA Chairman Townsend will welcome the Get Listed! participants. NYPA President Kessel will deliver the keynote remarks at Get Listed! Panelists will include Robert McNary, Regional Director, Empire State Development Corporation; Bruce Bailey, President, AWS Truewind, a renewable energy consulting firm; Jill Anderson, Director, Supply Acquisition & Renewable Energy, NYPA; and Kelly Tyler, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The event will be moderated by Sharon Laudisi, Business Development & Community Affairs Specialist, NYPA.
Get Listed! and the GLOW Business Registry are an opportunity for New York State manufacturers and service providers, especially in upstate New York regions, to make themselves known to wind power developers and take part in this growth industry. In addition, NYPA is interested in attracting new and innovative companies to New York for offshore wind development.
Another aim of Get Listed! and the GLOW Business Registry is to help build a domestic wind industry in New York and keep job-creating dollars from going overseas. A report by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University (http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/wind-energy-funds-going-overseas/story/renewable-energy-money-still-going-abroad/) reported last October that, “money from the 2009 (US federal) stimulus bill to help support the renewable energy industry continues to flow overseas” and “more than 80 percent of the first $1 billion in grants to wind energy companies went to foreign firms.”
“Clean energy is an important and growing part of the Greater Rochester economy,” said Mark S. Peterson, president and chief executive officer of Greater Rochester Enterprise. “NYPA’s Get Listed! Initiative is an effective way for our local companies to learn more about new business applications and growth markets.
"Governor Paterson's plan to rebuild New York recognizes the benefits of emerging technology industries like clean tech," said Dennis M. Mullen, chairman and chief executive officer designate, Empire State Development. "New York State has all the requirements for innovation—strong public and private institutions, a quality talent pool and widespread infrastructure. I applaud Richie Kessel and NYPA for hosting Get Listed! This event will highlight the wealth of state resources available to businesses looking to sustain their economic standing and position themselves for growth and success. It was a tremendous effort and a great example of what we can accomplish when working together."
- Businesses that should consider participating in Get Listed! include but are not limited to:
Manufacturers and suppliers of a wide range of mechanical and electrical components including: generators, hydraulics, sensors, hardware, drives, power distribution, composites, cabling, big steel, castings, forgings, bearings and gearboxes. - Construction equipment and suppliers including: cranes, concrete and rebar.
- Transportation companies supporting large-scale items over land, rail and sea.
Get Listed! in Rochester on April 12 is a NYPA initiative in association with Greater Rochester Enterprise, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, Southern Tier Economic Growth and Empire State Development Corporation.
The NYPA RFP to develop the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project calls for between 120 and up to a maximum of 500 megawatts to be located in the New York State waters of Lake Erie and/or Lake Ontario. Proposals in response to the RFP are due June 1, 2010. Developers who commit to utilizing New York labor, materials and to development of wind manufacturing in New York State will receive preference during the RFP review and selection process.About GRE:
Located in the heart of New York’s technology corridor, Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) is a public-private partnership established to professionally market the Rochester metropolitan region as a competitive, high-profile place for business location and growth. Its efforts support business attraction and expansion, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. GRE collaborates with businesses, universities, not-for-profit organizations and government leaders to ensure a unified approach to regional economic development. For more information, please go to www.RochesterBiz.com.
About NYPA:
■ The New York Power Authority uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. ■ NYPA is a leader in promoting energy efficiency, new energy technologies and electric transportation initiatives. ■ It is the nation's largest state-owned electric utility, with 17 generating facilities in various parts of New York State and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. ■ About 75 percent of the electricity it produces is clean renewable hydropower. Its lower-cost power production and electricity purchases support hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the state. ■ For more information, www.nypa.gov.