WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Notes To Discontinue Printed Publication—Starting this January, the Power Authority will no longer distribute printed copies of NYPA Notes, but will instead limit publication of the biweekly newsletter to an electronic version that will be available either through e-mail or via the NYPA website. As part of ongoing efforts to promote the website, www.nypa.gov, and to advance environmental responsibility, NYPA is reducing the amount of printed materials it produces, and is using recycled paper products whenever possible. Currently, NYPA Notes has approximately 2,000 subscribers statewide, including media outlets and individuals who are interested in Power Authority operations. To continue receiving NYPA Notes, subscribers should send their e-mail addresses to info@nypa.gov . Those who have already sent in their email addresses do not need to send them again.

LEWISTON: Nine WNY Businesses Receive Power Extensions– Nine Western New York businesses have received contract extensions for low-cost electricity from the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project. The five-year contract extensions approved by NYPA’s trustees are linked to the retention of more than 1,800 jobs and account for a total of 11,100 kilowatts (kw) of expansion power, one of two large blocks of industrial power from the Niagara project reserved for Western New York businesses. The nine companies, along with their allocations and job commitments, are: Tulip Corporation, Niagara Falls, 300 kw, 110 jobs; 3M Company, Tonawanda, 500 kw, 330 jobs; C&S Wholesale Grocers, Cheektowaga, 300 kw, 50 jobs; Delphi Automotive Systems, Amherst, 500 kw, 124 jobs; International Imaging Materials, Amherst, 1,250 kw, 393 jobs; Dunkirk Specialty Steel, Dunkirk, 5,800 kw, 180 jobs; Fairbank Farms, Ashville, 700 kw, 110 jobs; Special Metals Corporation, Dunkirk, 1,000 kw, 81 jobs; and the Red Wing Company, Fredonia, 750 kw, 440 jobs.

WHITE PLAINS: City Dedicates Hydrogen Refueling Facility— New York State’s first hydrogen vehicle refueling facility was dedicated in November at White Plains’ Department of Public Works depot. It’s the first of six such stations planned around the nation as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation project. GM’s Chevrolet Division will supply more than 100 of its Equinox fuel cell electric compact SUVs to customers in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. They will test-drive the vehicles over a period of three to 30 months and provide feedback on performance to Chevrolet. The White Plains facility will manufacture and store 30 kilograms of gaseous hydrogen on site to power the vehicles. The Power Authority is supporting the project by co-funding the costs of retrofitting two Toyota Prius vehicles to run on hydrogen. They are part of a larger group of hydrogen-powered city cars scheduled to utilize the new facility. NYPA has also arranged to purchase renewable energy attributes from environmentally responsible hydroelectric facilities to power the station. The power meets environmental criteria set by the Low Impact Hydro Institute.

MASSENA: Hydropower Project Upgrade Passes Halfway Point— A multi-year Life Extension and Modernization (LEM) program at NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project has passed the halfway point, with work on track for completion by 2013. NYPA is replacing all 16 turbine-generators in the project’s Robert Moses Power Dam, and the ninth unit returned to service on Oct. 31. The $281 million LEM program includes replacement or renovation of nearly all of the generating equipment at the 800,000-kilowatt hydropower project, with most of the work being performed by NYPA employees. “Returning this unit to service on time and on budget is an outstanding testament to the professionalism and hard work of key Power Authority employees who have dedicated their efforts to ensuring the St. Lawrence-FDR project will continue its legacy of reliable and efficient power production well into the future,” said Roger Kelley, NYPA president and chief executive officer. As work proceeds on the next turbine-generator, staff members expect to shorten the time needed to complete the job from nine months to seven, reflecting efficiencies learned over the course of the LEM. Because of an aggressive construction schedule in building NYPA’s first power facility, in the 1950s, half of the turbines at the St. Lawrence-FDR project were made by Baldwin Lima Hamilton and half by Allis Chalmers. Alstom USA is manufacturing all 16 of the turbine replacements over the course of the 15-year LEM.

GILBOA: Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project Returns to Service— As part of its own Life Extension and Modernization program, the Power Authority’s Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project returned to service on Nov. 6 after being shut down since Sept. 21 for preliminary work to upgrade one of its four pump-turbine generating units. The four-year upgrade involves replacement of major mechanical and electrical components of the units. Three of the four units resumed power generation after the project’s upper reservoir atop Brown Mountain was refilled. The reservoir had been drained to permit replacement of controls that govern the flow of water into the powerhouse. The pump-turbine unit currently being upgraded, the second of four units to undergo refurbishing, is scheduled to return to service next June, in time for the peak summer demand season. Work on the remaining two generators will follow the same fall-spring schedule over successive years, with the $135 million program scheduled for completion in June 2010.

QUEENS: Power Authority Supplies Computers to School— NYPA will donate nine refurbished computers to the Lutheran School of Flushing and Bayside to support the school’s educational programs. The donation is in line with NYPA’s efforts to assist schools around the state, such as the “Power to Schools” energy efficiency program, which helps schools cut energy costs and improve air quality. The computer reconditioning includes a thorough cleaning and replacement of broken or missing parts, as well as the installation of a new operating system and at least 128 megabytes of memory. Councilman Tony Avella said NYPA’s donation “will help young students prepare for tomorrow’s educational challenges today.” Astate law authorizes NYPA to give refurbished computers to educational institutions across the state. Since 2002, NYPA has reconditioned over 500 computers for distribution.