LEWISTON: Six Companies Get Low-Cost Power Allocations— Six companies in Western New York will create 79 new jobs and make nearly $13 million in capital investments with the help of low-cost power allocations from the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project. The companies are Allegheny Technologies in Lockport; Enidine in Orchard Park; Mayer Brothers Apple Products in West Seneca; Noble Metal Processing in Tonawanda; Precious Plate in Niagara Falls; and Saint Gobain-Advanced Ceramics in Niagara Falls. The Western New York Advisory Group recommended the allocations, which were approyjved by NYPA trustees in late May. The advisory group consists of NYPA, National Grid, Empire State Development Corp., the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise and the Niagara County Department of Economic Development.

TUPPER LAKE: Muni Systems Join Refrigerator Program— The City of Plattsburgh and the villages of Lake Placid and Tupper Lake are participating in NYPA’s energy-saving refrigerator replacement program. The three public power systems use low-interest financing from NYPA to buy a total of 623 highly efficient Energy Star® Qualified refrigerators for public housing. Electricity use is cut by 50 percent, or almost 300 kilowatt hours per year, equal to 314 barrels of oil and 94 tons of avoided greenhouse gas emissions annually. In 1995, NYPA began a project that ultimately replaced nearly 185,000 old refrigerators with more efficient units in New York City Housing Authority apartments. A similar program begun in 2003 replaced more than 1,600 refrigerators for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.

NEW YORK CITY: NYPA Employee Gets Volunteer Award— Michael Huvane, business manager in the Power Authority’s Marketing and Economic Development department, was honored for his volunteer work with children at the 14th Annual Friends of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Recognition Luncheon at the Rainbow Room in New York City on June 12. Huvane, NYPA’s 2007 Volunteer of the Year, was selected for his work with Destination Imagination (DI), a program he introduced at his local school in Shrub Oak, where children work in teams to solve problems in various disciplines over several months. They present their solutions at local, regional, national and international championships. Huvane has been involved with DI since 1997, mentoring teams and serving in various coaching and judging positions and recruiting other volunteers. He also volunteers on the Town of Cortlandt’s Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board and has a long-standing relationship with the Fresh Air Fund. Through the fund, in 1994 he opened his home for the summer to a disadvantaged boy from New York City, who is now completing his second year at SUNY Albany. The Power Authority has participated in the Volunteer of the Year Program since 1995.

ASTORIA: NYPA Supports Independence Day Celebrations— The Power Authority will again sponsor two free Independence Day celebrations this summer, in Astoria, Queens, on June 29, and in White Plains on July 2. The June 29 event, to be held in Astoria Park, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with a Marine Corps color guard, followed by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and then Grucci fireworks around 9 p.m. Now in its 25th year, the Queens event is organized by the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition. NYPA has supported the Queens fireworks event since its inception. On July 2, the City of White Plains will hold its annual Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Display at White Plains High School, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The festivities, which NYPA has sponsored for more than 10 years, include live music, children’s activities, cultural demonstrations and a variety of food vendors. The pyrotechnics by International Fireworks will begin shortly after dusk.

BROOKLYN: Computers Delivered to St. Patrick’s School— NYPA and State Sen. Martin Golden of Brooklyn have teamed to deliver 10 refurbished computers to support the educational programs at Brooklyn’s St. Patrick’s School. The donations were provided through a state law authorizing NYPA to supply refurbished computers to educational institutions across New York State. The Power Authority cleans and replaces broken or missing parts; new operating systems and at least 128 megabytes of memory are installed before delivery. NYPA has reconditioned and donated more than 500 computers to educational facilities throughout the state since 2002.

GILBOA: NYPA's Generating Project Ready for Peak Demand—Following a 10-month major upgrade on one of its four generating units, the Power Authority’s Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project has returned to full power in time to meet rising power demands in the state as the hottest months approach. The project’s multiyear Life Extension and Modernization program calls for one unit to be upgraded each year through 2010. During out-of-service periods water levels in the facility’s upper reservoir are reduced to enable replacement and repair of key mechanical and electrical components. During periods of greatest demand, water is released from the upper reservoir, plunges 1,200 feet to power the generators, and then flows into the lower reservoir on Schoharie Creek. At nights and on weekends, when demand is lower, water is pumped to the upper reservoir, using the least-cost electricity available from other sources. The $135 million upgrade will allow the power project to produce more power from the same amount of water while extending the facility’s record of reliable service for decades.

MASSENA: Power Authority Assists With Tourism ‘Passbook’— The Power Authority has joined with other members of the St. Lawrence International Partnership to promote tourism on both sides of the border by issuing “Attractions Passbook 2007.” The free Passbook features site profiles, admissions information, addresses, maps, hours of operation, web addresses and event listings for numerous St. Lawrence Valley attractions in New York State and Ontario. One featured site is NYPA’s admission-free Hawkins Point Visitors Center here, which opened in 2005 at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. The $5 million center has numerous interactive displays and exhibits on electricity, water power, local history and the environment, and provides an outstanding view of the power project’s dam. The 2007 Passbook is available at local chambers of commerce, Ontario tourism offices, Thousand Island Council visitors centers, the Hawkins Point Visitors Center and area trade shows.