NEW YORK CITY: NYPA Assists Clean-Vehicle Initiative— The Power Authority will contribute to projects announced by Gov. George Pataki to deploy hybrid-electric vehicles in the city to help improve air quality. NYPA will contribute $300,000 toward the purchase of five hybrid-electric shuttle vans for the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, three to provide service from bus routes to the Hunts Point Market in the South Bronx, and two to replace diesel vans. The Power Authority will also provide $80,000 toward the cost of installing hybrid-electric drive systems in two Charmer-Sunbelt Group delivery trucks operating within the five boroughs. “Governor Pataki has charged NYPA to work with its community partners and economic development customers to identify and then eliminate harmful emissions,” said NYPA President Eugene Zeltmann. “These investments will help improve air quality in the affected communities.” In all, 37 hybrid-electric vehicles will be deployed in private fleets in the New York City area under the Governor’s plan, with help from $1.8 million in federal funding.

ALBANY: Energy-Efficiency Saves Millions for Albany County— A look at completed and current Power Authority energy-efficiency projects within Albany County reveals both the increasing importance that schools and municipal agencies place on energy conservation, and NYPA’s growing emphasis on applying energy-efficient technologies to reduce costs and clean New York’s air. Since 1993, when crews installed energy-efficient lighting and energy management systems at the State University of New York’s (SUNY) headquarters, NYPA has completed more than 20 projects in 78 separate facilities. These projects produce annual energy savings of $4 million and remove more than 34 tons of greenhouse gases from the air each year. Currently, 16 projects countywide are in construction or in final design stages, ranging from installation of a chiller at SUNY Albany to more-efficient, Web-based metering at the state Office of General Services and a variety of cost-cutting technologies at Hampton Plaza, a state office building in Albany. These should add another $2.6 million to the county’s annual energy—and taxpayer—savings, and remove another 18 tons of greenhouse gases from New York State’s air annually.

NEW YORK CITY: Solar Systems Will Have Teaching Role— Power Authority solar photovoltaic systems will be installed this fall on rooftops at two nationally renowned New York City educational institutions, with special accommodations to encourage student or visitor monitoring directly and via a Web site link. At the highly competitive Bronx High School of Science, the city has approved installation of a roof-mounted, 35-kilowatt solar system that will contribute about 40,000 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity per year for the 3,000-student facility’s needs. Total project cost is $381,000, with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) providing $234,000. At the New York Hall of Science in Queens, the city’s only hands-on science and technology museum and largest collection of interactive exhibits, NYPA will install a 15-kilowatt solar system, expected to generate about 17,000 kwh per year. Total project cost is $171,000, with NYSERDA providing $97,500.

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Offers Career Day for City Youth— A group of employees at NYPA’s White Plains headquarters participated in a career day July 15 for the city’s Youth Bureau. More than a dozen 10th- and 11th-graders attended the after-school program, where they learned about career options and the value of work ethics at the New York Power Authority. The agenda included meetings with employees from several departments and an up-close look at NYPA’s fleet of electric-drive vehicles. The employee participants, many of whom belong to NYPA’s Speakers Bureau, mentored the students, providing advice and encouragement on various aspects of the work world including speech, body language and wardrobe.

UTICA: Runners, Boaters Get Power Authority Support— NYPA helped to sponsor two major sporting events in the Utica area in July that benefited the local economy and charities. More than 10,000 runners from around the world took to the streets on July 10 for the 28th annual Boilermaker race, billed by Runners World magazine and the Road Runners Club of America as one of the top races in the country. The 15-kilometer race generated close to $1 million for the local economy, partly from spectators who turned out by the thousands. Meanwhile, in nearby Marcy on July 17, boaters and boating fans helped raise valuable dollars for cancer survivors through the annual Erie Canal Canoe Classic. While contestants rowed five-, 13.6- or 20-mile courses, proceeds aided cancer-related programs run by the Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare Foundation and the Erie Canal Rowing Club.

In the Community: The Power Authority selected five finalists for its 2005 Volunteer of the Year award when it named Yorktown Heights resident Dan Cappiello, strategy and performance planning manager, as the recipient (see NYPA Notes, July 3). The finalists: Roger Alama, Woodmere, a civil/structural design engineer, served as president of the not-for-profit Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) for two years and helped raise more than $24,000 for the construction of six school classrooms in the Philippines. Vernon Clarke, Dix Hills, senior structural engineer, was cited for donating his vacation time and money to help build public facilities in indigent communities in South Carolina and in his native Guyana. Jackie Copeland, Ossining, senior programmer analyst, volunteered her time during the past four years with the Mercy College Science and Technology Entry Program, which helps guide minority grade-school students into careers in science and technology. All three work in NYPA’s White Plains Office. Pendra King, a journeyman operator at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project and a Massena resident, spearheaded an effort to bring holiday joy to seniors at two local nursing homes over the past few years. John Stirling, a Niagara Power Project maintenance resource management supervisor and Lewiston resident, founded the Holiday Adoption Fund that has been providing toys and winter clothing to approximately 100 needy children in the Niagara Falls area annually since 1993…The staff at the Niagara project displayed an information booth on upcoming NYPA-sponsored events at St. George’s Greek Festival, Niagara Falls, July 15…The Niagara project’s visitors center played host to an art show sponsored by the Health Association of Niagara County Inc.’s senior citizens, July 13.