NEW YORK CITY: Renewable Energy Panel Makes Progress—Members of the state’s Renewable Energy Task Force presented their initial findings to Lt. Gov. David Paterson in late September. Formed in June, the task force includes experts in a variety of areas, all working to expand and accelerate the state’s use of clean-energy and energy-efficient technologies. Paterson heard reports from four subcommittees, focusing on renewable fuels, energy efficiency, central generation and distributed generation. Task force members agree that New York has the resources to become a national leader in promoting and generating these technologies. But barriers and impediments also exist, along with increasing competition from other states. “Identifying the challenges we face is a critical step toward maximizing our potential in a way that is environmentally balanced and economically sustainable,” Paterson noted. Power Authority President and CEO Roger Kelley, who has experience in both the public and private utility sectors, is a task force member. Other NYPA staff members are providing information on the Power Authority’s involvement in areas of task force interest. A report is due to be presented to the lieutenant governor on Dec. 1.

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Schedules Energy Efficiency Seminar—NYPA will welcome Westchester County government agency representatives at an Energy Efficiency Seminar on Oct. 10, providing tips on how to use energy more efficiently and reduce utility bills. The free seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Jaguar Room at NYPA’s White Plains office, 123 Main St. The Power Authority provides electricity at lower-than-market rates to many public entities throughout the county. Over the past 10 years, NYPA and county government customers have completed over $50 million in energy-saving projects at 240 Westchester public schools, fire departments, municipal buildings and other facilities. The projects now save the facilities a total of $7 million in annual energy costs. Examples of the work include high-efficiency lighting at the Greenburgh Town Hall; energy-efficient traffic signals in Peekskill and New Rochelle; and a new chiller at the White Plains Public Library. For more information on the seminar, e-mail info@nypa.gov  and put Energy Efficiency Seminar in the subject line.

MASSENA: Fund to Help Keep River Knowledge Flowing— A new source of funding for environmental research and educational projects about the ecology of the St. Lawrence River and its surroundings was launched in late September. The St. Lawrence River Research & Education Fund (SLRREF) is part of NYPA’s continuing effort to promote greater understanding of the importance of the river valley. Administered by a board, the SLRREF is expected to have $30,000 to $50,000 available annually for projects; individual awards will be $15,000 to $20,000 each. Proposals must pertain to the river or its adjoining terrestrial features, focusing on the stretch between Ogdensburg and Summerstown, Ontario, in the vicinity of NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Project. Along with the Power Authority, the SLRREF board has representatives from the state Department of Environmental Conservation; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe; the St. Lawrence County Planning Office; the St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Education Services; New York Rivers United; the St. Lawrence Adirondack Audubon Society; and, on a rotating basis, a representative from the towns of Massena, Louisville and Waddington. A descriptive brochure, application and additional details are available at: http://www.nypa.gov/facilities/stlaw.htm

WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Supports Hispanic Parade and Festival—The Power Authority will have a prominent role in the White Plains Hispanic Parade and Festival this year. In fact, NYPA’s director for public and governmental affairs in the Lower Hudson Valley, Sobeida Cruz, will serve as grand marshal for the Oct. 21 event, which the Power Authority is co-sponsoring. The parade kicks off at noon at the intersection of Mamaroneck Avenue and Old Mamaroneck Road, proceeding through downtown White Plains to the reviewing stand in front of City Hall. A cultural festival—with music, dance, food and other vendors celebrating all 21 Hispanic nations—will be held on nearby Church Street from noon to 5 p.m. The Power Authority’s main administrative office is located in White Plains, and for the last 24 years Cruz has represented NYPA to the residents of Southeastern New York. A resident of Yonkers, Cruz is also a founding member of “100 Hispanic Women of Westchester.”

WHITE PLAINS: Power Authority Hosts Environmental Meeting—Representatives from the New York City Transit Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York City Department of Sanitation and the Irvington Free School District attended a workshop in September at the NYPA office building here on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® environmental sustainability program. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The workshop offered an overview of the process to obtain LEED building certification for environmental improvements. The meeting was conducted by Sebesta Blomberg Inc., an architectural and engineering firm, which also acted as a consultant on the LEED process for NYPA’s White Plains Office, the first building in New York State to achieve the LEED Gold-EB (exiosting building) designation. In addition to three workshops held in White Plains, NYPA has also offered sessions in New York City, Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo, with a combined attendance of more than 230.