MASSENA: SLAEC Funds Targeted for Economic Study— NYPA is awaiting funding owed to it by the St. Lawrence Aquarium & Ecological Center and will use the money to help develop a comprehensive regional master plan for tourism and economic development in St. Lawrence County. The money will be directed to the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency. The nearly $145,000 is what remains of $1.6 million the Power Authority had provided for an aquarium and ecological center that didn’t materialize because of insufficient local funding. “This area of New York has a great deal to offer visitors, including outdoor attractions and a rich history and culture,” said Timothy Carey, NYPA’s chief operating officer. “We want to support local efforts to attract tourists and create new jobs, and we believe a study of this magnitude could help steer us in the right direction.” Earlier this year, NYPA approved an agreement to provide up to $10 million to bring technology companies to St. Lawrence County, in a plan to raise another $20 million in private investment for creating new businesses and jobs in the region.

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Hosts National Hydrogen Workshop— Plans to integrate hydrogen fuel into the nation’s energy mix were the focus of a meeting hosted by the Power Authority at its White Plains office in early December. The meeting included the National Hydrogen Association and the Electric Power Research Institute, both nationally prominent in shaping a coordinated government, business and electric utility approach to hydrogen as a clean energy source. More than 30 U.S. and international electric utility executives met with U.S. Department of Energy officials, federal legislative representatives and hydrogen technology specialists to develop specific long-term collaborative strategies for hydrogen production, distribution, storage and end use. The two-day meeting also marked the first formal gathering of the utility industry’s Hydrogen Utility Group, a consortium of major utilities, including NYPA, dedicated to developing hydrogen’s clean-energy promise and its potential contribution to reducing the nation’s dependence on oil.

ALBANY: University Saves Through Energy Efficiency— The University at Albany East Campus will save more than $200,000 per year in energy costs thanks to a Power Authority energy-efficiency project. Officials announced completion of the $1.5 million effort on Dec. 13. It included new lighting measures that will yield more illumination while cutting energy consumption by 75 percent; a revamped heating, ventilation and cooling system; and dual-fuel furnaces capable of burning either natural gas or No. 2 grade fuel oil. Sen. Joseph L. Bruno secured a $250,000 grant from the state’s Petroleum Overcharge Restitution fund to help finance the project. To date, NYPA’s energy-efficiency work in the State University of New York system exceeds $133 million, with annual energy savings of $14 million, enabling the universities to keep more of their funds for use in the classroom. Overall in New York state, the Power Authority has invested more than $840 million in energy-efficiency projects at public facilities, cutting energy costs by $92 million a year and avoiding the release of 730,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

NEW YORK CITY: Staten Island School Gets Solar Project— Students at P.S. 13 on Staten Island can get a first-hand look at a cutting-edge alternative-energy technology thanks to a solar power project installed by the Power Authority on the roof of their school. The solar project, expected to produce 8,000 kilowatt-hours a year of clean electricity for the school, will allow students to monitor such variables as wind speed, temperature and amount of sunlight from classroom computers to assist their understanding of the process of converting sunlight into electricity. The project, and another solar installation planned for P.S. 14 on Staten Island, are made possible by grants totaling $150,000 secured by Gov. George Pataki from the state’s Petroleum Overcharge Restitution Fund. The Power Authority has now installed a total of 25 solar projects around the state. Last year, NYPA invested over $2 million in boiler and lighting energy-efficiency improvements at P.S. 13, saving the school $17,000 a year on electricity bills.

HERE AND THERE: NYPA Staff Lends Holiday Helping Hands— Staff members at NYPA power projects around the state contributed to community food drives and various “adopt-a-family” programs to help the needy during the holidays. At the Clark Energy Center in Marcy, employees donated more than 5,000 pounds of potatoes, squash, onions, bananas and other fresh and canned goods to the Community Food Bank in Utica, and also contributed to the Thea Bowman House there. For the third consecutive year, staff members at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project in Schoharie County “adopted” several families through nearby schools, providing each child with a full set of winter outerwear, personal hygiene items, small toys and each child’s “wish” gift. Employees at the Niagara Power Project in Lewiston supplied toys and warm clothing to 100 needy children. At the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project, staff memmbers supported a variety of charities by raising money through a regional hockey tournament. NYPA employees at facilities in the New York area donated to food, clothing and toy drives, and answered children’s letters to Santa Claus, which they obtained from the Manhattan post office.

NEW YORK CITY: NYPA Supports ‘Green’ Building Conference— The Power Authority participated in a conference on “green”—or environmentally friendly—building construction presented by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) on Dec. 13. Topics included energy-efficient buildings, tax incentives and technical aspects of environmentally sound buildings and materials. Joe Leary, NYPA’s director of public and governmental affairs for Southeastern New York, discussed the Power Authority’s White Plains office building, where a $3.8 million upgrade was completed in 2002. The project included energy-efficiency improvements that, combined with previous work, reduced energy consumption by more than 50 percent. The New York City Economic Development Corporation joined the SIEDC in presenting the conference.