NEW YORK CITY: Bronx, Queens Solar Power Helps Students— A 35-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system will contribute about 40,000 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity per year for the highly competitive Bronx High School of Science’s electricity needs—while contributing, as well, to students’ understanding of solar technology. A similar new system has begun generating 17,000 kwh per year at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, the city’s only hands-on science and technology museum. At both locations, students or museum-goers will be able to monitor the rooftop systems’ performance on computers recording wind speed, temperature, amount of sunlight and current and cumulative power generation. NYPA directed the installations, and shared funding with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Official Receives Environmental Award— The Power Authority’s chief operating officer, Timothy Carey, has been honored for his contribution to the construction of the nation’s first “green” or environmentally sustainable residential high-rise building while he was president and chief executive officer of the Battery Park City Authority in Manhattan. The United States Green Building Council presented Carey with its 2005 Leadership Award, recognizing “outstanding vision, leadership and commitment to the evolution of green building design and construction.” The 27-story, 293-unit apartment building called Solaire was dedicated in 2003, the first new residential construction completed in downtown Manhattan since 9/11. It was engineered to cut energy demand by 35 percent, reduce peak demand for electricity by 65 percent, require 50 percent less potable water, and offer more natural light and healthier indoor air quality. In 2002, the Power Authority completed a $3.8 million upgrade at its White Plains office building, including energy-efficiency improvements that, combined with previous work, reduced energy consumption by more than 50 percent.

COBLESKILL: Power Authority Supports Heart Facility— Officials of Bassett Hospital of Schoharie County have received a contribution from the Power Authority to support a recently opened cardiac care unit. Eric Stein, hospital administrator, accepted the contribution, the second installment of a five-year commitment. NYPA made the commitment to Bassett because it is the closest hospital to its Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project. Opened in April, the Bassett Heart Care Institute provides medical cardiology services, including diagnostic procedures such as stress tests and echocardiograms. Nuclear stress testing and a cardiac rehabilitation program may be added in a future expansion. Joining NYPA President Eugene Zeltmann at the check presentation ceremony were state Sen. James Seward; Horace Horton, NYPA regional manager, Central New York; and Steven DeCarlo, the former regional manager, who now serves as senior vice president, transmission at NYPA’s Clark Energy Center in Marcy.

NEW YORK CITY: NYPA Helps Honor Black Innovators— The Power Authority is supporting a new educational program, Black Innovators of the Early Twentieth Century, a free monthly reading and book discussion series presented by the Lewis H. Latimer House Museum in Queens and the New York Council for the Humanities. Latimer, an electrical pioneer who worked with Thomas Edison, invented a longer-lasting filament for the electric light bulb in 1881, and supervised the installation of electric street lighting in New York City, Paris, London and Montreal. In 2004, the Power Authority worked with Queens residents, civic organizations and corporate sponsors to help restore Latimer’s wood-frame house and turn it into a museum. NYPA President Eugene Zeltmann announced the education program support during a “friendraiser” at the museum to honor Winifred Latimer Norman, the inventor’s 91-year-old granddaughter. For more information on the Black Innovators series, call 718-961-8585. Pre-registration is required and space is limited.

BUFFALO: Energy Expo Attracts Western New Yorkers— It was a first for the area: a free-admission Energy Expo staged to demonstrate tips and tactics to blunt the impact of soaring energy costs. And it was a hit: more than 250 people attended the Nov. 5 event at the city’s Charles R. Drew Magnet School, talking over energy problems and opportunities with 30 providers of weatherizing products, solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, heating and insulation, and home and small business energy audits. Requests for audits were especially popular—one provider reported making about 75 commitments by day’s end. “Managing Your Energy Bill” workshops were presented by the Cornell Cooperative Extension. The event was co-sponsored by NYPA; Energy $mart, a joint initiative of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the New York State Public Service Commission; National Grid; and the state Consumer Protection Board.

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Manager Honored As Woman Leader— The manager of the Power Authority’s payroll department was honored by the YWCA of the City of New York during the annual Academy of Women Leaders Salute Lunch on Nov. 16 in Manhattan. Anne McSpedon was also named NYPA’s 2005 Woman Leader after taking over leadership of the department when her supervisor left because of illness. That happened just as the department was switching payroll services after years with a former company. McSpedon and her small staff worked late nights and weekends for many months to provide a smooth transition to the new system, and to assure that the Power Authority’s paychecks were disbursed on time every week.

TUPPER LAKE: New Twist on Wood As Energy Source— Everything old is new again as NYPA seeks to take the age-old practice of burning wood for energy and turn it into a high-tech, cutting-edge clean and efficient energy option. NYPA recently announced that the Electric Power Research Institute was awarded a contract to study the use of woody biomass as a means of producing electricity for Tupper Lake and its environs. Woody biomass includes tree parts—limbs, tops, needles—and other woody parts as a source of renewable energy. The study will look at the feasibility of using clipping and pruning discards in addition to sawmill and furniture manufacturing residue as part of the process. It will also assess electricity-producing combustion methods such as direct burning and gasification that may be cleaner and produce less ash than other processes like burning wood in boilers. The study is part of a comprehensive program, announced last November by Gov. George Pataki, to address the energy needs of the Tri-Lakes region of the Adirondacks, which has experienced serious power disruptions due to limited transmission.

In the Community: Members of the Power Authority’s speakers bureau gave presentations to the New Hyde Park Civilian Patrol, Nov. 17, and the Quad Village Rotary, Dobbs Ferry, Nov. 15. The members also spoke to students at PS 166, Long Island City, about careers in the utility industry, Nov. 9, and to students at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, about alternate sources of energy, Oct. 26. If you are interested in scheduling a speaker for a community organization or school, contact Maryann Falls, speakers bureau manager, at maryann.falls@nypa.gov…A Power Authority electric car was part of the Annual Niagara Electric Light Parade saluting the area’s armed forces and their families, Nov. 12.