WHITE PLAINS: New York Power Authority Trustees Accept Resignation of Richard M. Kessel as NYPA President and CEO—The NYPA Board of Trustees have accepted the resignation of Richard M. Kessel as NYPA president and chief executive officer. Kessel, who has headed NYPA for nearly three years, will remain at the Authority through Sept. 6 to ensure a smooth transition. In accepting Kessel’s resignation, the NYPA board, which is charged with the oversight of the Authority’s senior management, approved the issuance of a Request for Proposals for the hiring of an executive search firm to provide candidates for filling the president and CEO position, the top staff job at the Authority. The trustees elected Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA’s chief operating officer, to serve as the Authority’s acting president and CEO following Kessel’s departure from NYPA.
LEWISTON: N.Y. Power Authority Welcomes Rochester Business Leader As Newest Member Of NYPA Board Of Trustees—R. Wayne LeChase of Monroe County is the newest trustee of the New York Power Authority. LeChase is the chairman of a Rochester-headquartered construction management company—LeChase Construction Services LLC—and a single-minded activist in promoting economic growth in Western New York and throughout New York State. On June 15, the New York State Senate confirmed the nomination by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of LeChase to the seven-member NYPA board. This followed approvals by the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.
LEWISTON: NYPA Commemorates 50 Years of Power Production at Niagara Power Project—The Power Authority celebrated 50 years of operation at its Niagara project last month. Through the relicensing of the project, up to early 2011, NYPA has provided $109.4 million towards a myriad of environmental, recreation, energy and economic development benefits in the local communities. In 50 years, at the end of the licensed term, NYPA will have provided approximately $1 billion in benefits to the Western New York region.
WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Announces Low-Cost Hydropower Allocations for Multimillion Dollar Expansions by Three Erie County Firms and over 200 New Jobs—The NYPA Board of Trustees announced the allocations of low-cost hydropower to three Erie County businesses—M&T Bank Corp., Moog, Inc., and Try-It Distributing Co., a beverage wholesaler—in return for their creation of 217 jobs from expected capital investments of nearly $79 million in facilities in Amherst, Elma and Lancaster, respectively. Hydropower under the Expansion Power Program, and from another large block of Niagara power known as Replacement Power, directly supports more than 30,000 Western New York jobs. More than 120 of the Buffalo-Niagara region’s foremost companies benefit from the two hydropower programs. The companies have an annual payroll of more than $2 billion and account for more than 70 percent of the manufacturing jobs in the region.
WHITE PLAINS: The Power Authority Earns Local And National Recognition for Energy Efficiency Work Completed in New York City—A NYPA energy efficiency project at Castle Hill—a public housing complex in New York City—has received prominent recognition from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). A federation of state and regional councils representing America's engineering industry, the ACEC's New York chapter issued NYPA its Diamond Award—its top honor—in connection with the comprehensive energy efficiency project. In partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), NYPA completed the energy efficiency work at Castle Hill Houses last year. The upgrades included the replacement of the central boiler plant, as well as steam traps, lighting fixtures and installation of wireless energy modules at 14 buildings, including 2,025 apartments. The $25.8 million project saves taxpayers nearly $2 million a year and removes more than 6,700 tons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere annually.
WHITE PLAINS: College Of Staten Island Saving Big Bucks Thanks to Energy Efficiency Project by the N.Y. Power Authority—The Power Authority is undertaking a major new energy efficiency project at the college’s Biological Sciences/Chemical Sciences Building, which will enhance comfort levels while lowering electricity and fuel costs by more than $900,000 a year. The improvements are also expected to result in the annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions—the primary climate-changing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere—by 4,110 tons. The $19.8 million energy-saving project included upgrading the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, occupancy-sensor installations and new roofing. The location, also known as Building 6S, includes nine teaching laboratories, research facilities, and centers for environmental and neuroscience.