WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Electric Vehicles Circle Earth 260 Times!—The Power Authority’s Clean Transportation Program reached new thresholds for miles driven, emission reductions and vehicle fuel savings in 2006. Since the program’s inception in the early 1990s, NYPA’s all-electric and hybrid-electric vehicles have traveled a total of 6.5 million miles—the equivalent of 260 times around the Earth. They are in use in 33 of New York State’s 62 counties, replacing conventional vehicles in many applications such as mail delivery, equipment transport, parking enforcement and shuttle services. NYPA estimates the program has reduced carbon-dioxide emissions by more than 3,000 tons and saved 21,000 barrels of crude oil, or nearly 400,000 gallons of gasoline. Other program highlights in 2006 included placing four hybrid-electric buses into service on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Operating Authority in New York City; helping to unveil a Sprinter Van plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle in New York; replacing diesel-powered ground support vehicles with electric-drive vehicles at the La Guardia Airport Marine Air Terminal in Queens; and expanding work with state and local governments, colleges and universities to integrate electric-drive vehicles into their fleets.

ALBANY: Forum Scheduled for ‘Power to Schools’ Program— Capital District school officials will learn about a major opportunity to save energy and money when the Power Authority conducts a forum on its “Power to Schools” program on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at The Clarion Hotel of Albany, 3 Watervliet Ave. Extension. School officials wishing to attend or to arrange energy audits of their facilities may contact NYPA’s Andrea Phillips at 914-391-5420 or by e-mail at Phillips.a@nypa.gov . The Power to Schools program was created by state legislation authorizing NYPA to assist public and private schools throughout New York in carrying out energy-efficiency projects and using clean-energy technologies such as solar power and fuel cells. NYPA oversees all phases of a project, beginning with an audit to identify energy-saving potential and continuing through installation of new lighting, boilers, chillers and other energy-efficiency measures. The Authority finances the work with low-interest loans and recovers its costs by sharing in the savings on energy bills, after which the participating district will retain all savings. The law also allows the Power Authority to help schools buy economical electricity in New York State’s competitive power markets. NYPA recently completed its first Power to Schools project, at the Albany School District’s offices in the historic Academy Building.

NEW YORK CITY: Wind to Power Governmental Facilities— The Power Authority will bring clean, renewable power to its large governmental customers through recent contractual arrangements with two wind power companies in upstate New York. The agreements are with Horizon Wind Energy and PPM Energy for the purchase of 72 megawatts of renewable energy from two rural wind farms, the Maple Ridge Wind Farm in Lewis County and Madison Wind Farm in Madison County. Governmental customers to be served by the wind power agreements are the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York City Housing Authority and the City University of New York. The new Freedom Tower and Office Towers 2, 3 and 4 at the World Trade Center site will be recipients of wind power as well, along with power supplied by four 1.2-megawatt fuel cell systems to be acquired by NYPA.

NIAGARA FALLS: NYPA Aids Maker of Soldier Body Armor— A regional manufacturer of ceramic products, including armor materials for protecting U.S. soldiers, has once again been approved for a Power Authority allocation of low-cost hydropower, at a second manufacturing facility in Niagara Falls. Saint-Gobain Ceramics will receive 1,400 kilowatts (kw) for the production of silicon-carbide plates for body vests. The company will invest nearly $3 million for equipment to make ceramic components, and will add 18 new jobs to a current work force of 164 at the Acheson Drive facility where the new machinery is being installed. Its sister plant, Saint-Gobain Ceramics and Plastics Inc., likewise received an allocation of low-cost NYPA hydropower in late 2006. In return for that allocation of 1,100 kw, the company agreed to create 12 additional jobs and maintain 57 existing jobs at its Wilmore Road site. It is also investing several million dollars for additional capacity to manufacture existing and new products. The hydropower allocations will be drawn from a block of 445,000 kw from the Niagara Power Project, called replacement power, that is reserved for economic development in Western New York.

SHERRILL: Hydropower Helps New Manufacturing Facility— A $23 million renovation and the creation of 37 full-time jobs are expected to result here from an allocation of low-cost hydropower recently approved by Power Authority trustees. International Wire Group plans to move new and existing equipment into the former Oneida Limited knife plant, an 80,000-square-foot facility served by Sherrill Power & Light, the local municipal electric system. NYPA trustees have approved an allocation of 2,700 kilowatts (kw) of economical electricity—half of it hydropower—to the Sherrill municipal system on behalf of International Wire, a major supplier of non-insulated wire to various industries. The company had been considering sites in South Carolina and Georgia for a new manufacturing facility before deciding on Sherrill. The power allocation is being provided under NYPA’s Industrial Economic Development Program, which supplies New York’s municipal electric systems and rural cooperatives with 108,000 kw of power for economic development. Half of that power comes from NYPA’s Niagara Power Project in Lewiston.

TUPPER LAKE: NYPA Powers Jarden Plastic Expansion— Low-cost hydropower from the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project also will support an expansion by Jarden Plastic Solution, a plastic products manufacturer in the Village of Tupper Lake. The company will add 21 new jobs to an existing work force of 83. NYPA trustees approved an allocation of 610 kilowatts of power to the village’s municipal electric system on behalf of Jarden. The company will purchase new injection molding machines and other equipment for a $350,000 upgrade. The allocation also is being provided under the Industrial Economic Development Program.