NEW YORK CITY: Bronx Meeting Focuses on ‘Green Buildings’—For the second year in a row, NYPA will co-sponsor an all-day energy technology seminar, “Moving Toward Sustainable Energy: The Bronx is Going Green,” on Sept. 23 at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. The conference will focus on creating energy-efficient and environmentally friendly multi-family and mixed-use buildings in the borough. Organizers include the Power Authority; the Bronx Initiative for Energy and the Environment of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation; the South Bronx Economic Development Corporation; the Association for Energy Affordability; the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority; the U.S. Department of Energy Rebuild America Program; and TRANE, a heating and cooling system specialist. More than 200 attendees are expected, including developers, building owners and managers, electrical and plumbing contractors, residential co-op board members and heating and air-conditioning specialists. The keynote speaker will be Randolph Croxton, a pioneer in environmentally compatible design.

SARANAC LAKE: Energy Conservation Expo Set for Sept. 17— A Tri-Lakes Energy Expo will be held here Sept. 17 to acquaint area homeowners and businesses with ways to conserve energy and cut costs by implementing energy conservation projects and using energy-efficient appliances. The energy expo will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake. The event will feature area vendors and professionals explaining their energy-efficient products and services, such as energy audits, lighting, heating, weatherization, low-interest financing and more. The expo is co-sponsored by the Power Authority; Niagara Mohawk, a National Grid Company; and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. For more information call Steve Ramsey at the Power Authority, 1-800-724-0309, or visit www.nypa.gov.

MASSENA: North Country Firm to Construct Eel Ladder— A firm from Gouverneur has been awarded a $1.65 million contract to build an eel ladder within the Power Authority’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project here. Eels are a migratory species that live most of their lives in fresh river water and then travel out to sea to spawn. As part of the relicensing of the power project, the Power Authority committed to spending $66 million on fish and wildlife projects along the St. Lawrence River. B-S Industrial Contracting Inc. will begin work on the eel ladder this fall, with final installation expected by next spring. Designed by C&S Companies of Syracuse, the ladder, or passageway, will be installed inside a sluiceway in the hydro project’s powerhouse, enabling young eels to swim up and over the dam into the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario where they can mature into adult fish. The eel ladder project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. NYPA also consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A similar ladder already operates on the Canadian side of the power dam, which spans the international border.

MARCY: Clark Energy Center Marks 25 Years of Service— The Clark Energy Center—the hub of the Power Authority’s statewide transmission network—celebrated a milestone Sept. 9 as NYPA staff joined state and local officials to toast the facility’s 25th anniversary. Sharing the day and kudos for a quarter century of hard work were Ed Hubert, NYPA’s senior vice president transmission, and Horace Horton, general manager transmission maintenance, along with many of Clark’s 160 employees—engineers, technicians, electricians, mechanics, linemen and administrative staff. Some retirees also attended. Invitees to a luncheon at the Hotel Utica included State Sen. Ray Meier; state Assembly members RoAnn Destito and David Townsend Jr.; Oneida County Executive Joseph Griffo; and Utica Mayor Tim Julian. The staff at Clark, which opened in 1980, monitors and controls NYPA’s 17 generating plants around the state and 1,400 miles of transmission lines.

NORTH BLENHEIM: NYPA Plays Host for Air Rescue Training—NYPA health and safety personnel took training measures to a higher level in late August when two highly experienced crews of LifeNet of New York, a regional helicopter rescue service, touched down on the grounds of the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project’s Lansing Manor to offer hands-on instruction in helicopter-coordinated rescue efforts. The day brought Blenheim-Gilboa’s Response Team and NYPA transmission linemen together with rescue and safety teams in Central New York for a total of nearly 50 participants. The refresher course defined protocols used by emergency medical responders when calling for helicopter assistance. The session focused on interaction between ground crews and nurse and paramedic flight teams and their mutual ability to stabilize a critically injured person for transport to a treatment center. Noting Lansing Manor’s expansive grounds, suitable for helicopter operations, Dennis Richards, Blenheim-Gilboa’s safety, health and fire protection administrator, said, “To the degree we’re protecting the health of our employees and others in the region who might be served by these professional teams, we’re delighted to help.” Participants included the Grand Gorge Rescue Squad, MEVAC Rescue and its explorer post from Middleburgh, Middleburgh Fire Department, Esperance Fire and Rescue, Blenheim Hose Company and the Schoharie County Safety Officer.

HERE AND THERE: Power Authority Sponsors Wildlife Festivals—The Power Authority will sponsor free Wildlife Festivals on Sept. 24 at or near three of its major facilities in New York State as part of its goal of promoting environmental awareness. The visitors center at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project in North Blenheim, Schoharie County, will hold its 20th annual Wildlife Festival, while NYPA’s Clark Energy Center in Marcy, near Utica, will conduct its fourth annual festival at nearby Deerfield Wilderness Park in Deerfield. The festival at the Niagara Power Project, also in its 20th year, will be held on both Sept. 24 and Sept. 25. Each festival will feature hands-on interactive family fun with the likes of exotic birds of prey, reptiles and monkeys, to baby animals and lovable llamas from nearby petting zoos. There will be arts and crafts, plenty to eat from local vendors and a wide range of entertainment. Hours for each festival will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. For more information and directions to the festivals visit www.nypa.gov.