NEW YORK CITY: Energy Partnership Has Potential for Growth— The Power Authority is eager to expand its current energy partnership with New York City through millions of dollars in additional projects now on the drawing boards, according to NYPA President and CEO Timothy Carey. NYPA has completed energy-efficiency and clean-energy projects at nearly 1,200 government buildings, schools, hospitals and other public facilities throughout the city, at a total cost of close to $565 million, Carey told a hearing of the City Council’s Committees on Environmental Protection and Consumer Affairs. These projects save taxpayers nearly $58 million a year in energy bills, reduce demand for both power and oil use and cut greenhouse gas emissions. NYPA has brought another $130 million worth of projects to various stages of development in the city. NYPA plans to study further potential for energy efficiency at facilities operated by the city and other Power Authority government customers, and will play a prominent role in one of the world’s largest fuel-cell installations, at the new World Trade Center complex.

NEW YORK CITY: NYPA Thanks Load Management Customers— The Power Authority’s cooperative, customer-driven Peak Load Management (PLM) program to conserve energy on summer’s hottest days capped its eighth year with a fall “thank you” luncheon. NYPA customers, including numerous city departments, subway and bus facilities, television studios, hospitals, the City University of New York and major banks and investment houses, reduced electricity use at NYPA’s request by cutting consumption or by operating their own on-site generation when high demand strained the system. Peak load records were set by Consolidated Edison and the Long Island Power Authority this summer. On the record-high day of Aug. 2, NYPA customers provided 84 megawatts of load relief—a full 185 percent of their commitment. Business, government and not-for-profit customers now participate in PLM at 92 locations citywide.

BOUCKVILLE: Rural Co-op Joins Conservation Program— The Oneida-Madison Electric Cooperative (OMEC) is implementing an energy-conservation program sponsored by the Power Authority. OMEC is one of 51 municipal and rural electric cooperative systems that depend on NYPA’s low-cost hydropower to help keep energy costs down. To avoid having to buy additional amounts of electricity at more-expensive rates, the Cooperative is asking its customers to save energy by automatically switching off residential electric hot water heaters for short periods in the early morning and early evening, when demand is greatest. NYPA is financing the installation of computer equipment at OMEC headquarters and control switches on residents’ hot water heaters. Costs will be recouped from a portion of the Cooperative’s savings and repaid over a 10-year period. OMEC expects to save about $47,000 a year while reducing peak demand by 300 kilowatts, enough energy for about 240 homes. About 300 residents have signed up for the voluntary program, with OMEC officials hoping to expand the effort to 500 homes in total.

NEW YORK CITY: Official Honored for Health-Cost Control— For her efforts to control the Power Authority’s health-care costs without diminishing its benefits package for close to 3,000 employees and retirees, the Power Authority selected Ida Gencarelli, director of employee benefits, as its 2006 Woman Leader. She was among 54 women recognized at the 33rd Annual Academy of Women Leaders Salute Luncheon in November, sponsored by the YWCA of the City of New York at the Sheraton New York Hotel. Gencarelli began her NYPA career as a personnel clerk in 1979, and over the years has worked in almost every aspect of Human Resources (HR). She said her experiences working with employees one-on-one in various HR functions have given her a first-hand appreciation of what’s important to people, and of the impact benefits changes may have on the lives of employees and their families.

YONKERS: Computers to Aid School for Special Children— The Westchester School for Special Children—a federal- and state-accredited school that provides high-quality special education to children 3 to 21 years of age—will receive 20 computers for classroom use through a state program administered by the Power Authority. The donation, made possible through the support of State Sen. Nicholas Spano, will help students develop and maintain skills, while challenging them to work productively and independently. The computers were made available through a state law authorizing NYPA to provide refurbished computers to educational institutions across New York State; since 2002, NYPA has reconditioned some 500 computers for such use.

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Manager Heads U.S.-Canadian Group— Yan Kishinevsky, program manager, research and technology development for the Power Authority, has been elected chairman of a key unit of CEA Technologies (CEATI), an association of U.S., Canadian and international electric utility professionals. CEATI’s Strategic Options for Sustainable Power Generation Interest Group (SOIG) is dedicated to developing clean-energy technologies such as clean-coal power generation, emissions controls, wind energy, plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, energy storage and distributed generation projects. SOIG met at NYPA’s office here this fall to study (among other NYPA priorities) hydrogen-fuel initiatives, battery storage systems for the Long Island Bus Co., biomass generation at various locations, including the Griffiss Technology Park near Rome, N.Y., and clean-burning Stirling engines at a New York City wastewater treatment plant in Brooklyn.