January 28, 2010- NYPA TO EXHIBIT AN ORIGINAL RUNNER AS VISITORS CENTER ATTRACTION
January 5, 2010- Movies at NYPA Visitors Center help Take the Sting Out of winter
December 9, 2009 - Santa Claus is Coming to NYPA's Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center
November 17, 2009 - NYPA’s Historic Lansing Manor Draws Record Crowds in 2009
October 2, 2009 - NYPA Visitors Center Celebrates 'Woodman's Day'
September 30, 2009 - Manufacturers to Benefit from New Economic Development Program Aimed at Reducing Energy Costs
September 29, 2009 - Energy Conservation and Electrical Safety to be Topic of NYPA Presentation
September 10, 2009 - NYPA Blenheim-Gilboa Modernization Program to Recommence for Last Stage of Program: Seasonal Public and Recreational Activities at Upper Reservoir to Close on Sept. 14, Lower Reservoir to Close on Sept. 30
September 4, 2009 - N.Y. Power Authority To Perform Required Fish Passage Work
August 25 - Governor Paterson Announces Kick-Off of “Smart Grid” Consortium to Promote State-of-the-Art, Reliable and Cost-Effective Power Delivery System: Academia, Utilities, Industry and State Agencies Unite to Support New York’s Smart Grid Grant Applications to U.S. Department of Energy (Governor's press release) (New York Power Authority: Applications for Smart-Grid Funding - fact sheet)
June 17, 2009 - Just in Time for Summer's High Demand for Electricity, NYPA Completes Third Unit Upgrade at Blenheim-Gilboa Project
May 27, 2009 - NYPA Partners With Solvay to “Green” Its Vehicle Fleet (video transcript)
May 20, 2009 - Power Authority Trustees Award Contract to Two N.Y. State Firms for Work on Blenheim-Gilboa Facility
January 27, 2009 - Low-Cost Hydropower to Spur Construction of Bleach Production Plant in Mohawk Valley and Creation of 54 New Jobs
NYPA in Central New York
In Central New York—an area encompassing the Syracuse and Rochester metropolitan areas, the Capital Region and the Southern Tier—the Power Authority operates the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage project in Gilboa, Schoharie County, and three small hydro-electric projects. Our Gregory B. Jarvis Plant is located at Hinkley Dam and Reservoir in Oneida County, and two other small-hydro facilities, on the Mohawk River, just west of Albany, are Vischer Ferry, straddling Saratoga and Schenectedy counties, and the Crescent plant in Albany and Saratoga counties. In addition to our generating plants, NYPA facilities in the area include our Albany headquarters office, and the Frederick R. Clark Energy Center in Marcy, Oneida County, which coordinates the operation of our statewide network of power plants and transmission facilities. It’s been said that the road to electric industry competition and customer choice runs through our Marcy substation near Utica. That’s where we’ve installed the world’s most advanced transmission control device. Our convertible static compensator (CSC) gives consumers greater access to lower cost electricity by permitting more power to be carried on existing transmission lines, permitting an increase in power flows of 120,000 kilowatts (kw) on the heavily-used transmission lines between Utica and Albany and 240,000 kw statewide.
Economic Development and Jobs
Low-cost power supplied by NYPA protects approximately 100,000 jobs at some 285 companies and non-profit agencies in Central New York. Power for Jobs helps Utica's Matt's Brewing Company, a specialty beer brewer, stay competitive and protect jobs. We also provide some of our low-cost power to investor-owned utilities for resale without profit to their customers and to municipally owned and rural-cooperative electric systems. (Learn more about our economic development programs.)
Energy Efficiency and New Technologies
We have completed a variety of energy-efficiency projects at public facilities in Central New York, helping lower energy costs by more than $13 million a year. In the Capital District alone, we’ve invested nearly $50 million in high-efficiency lighting and other measures at facilities such as the Empire State Plaza, Albany International Airport, the State University at Albany, Schenectady City Hall and Scotia-Glenville schools. We have a long-standing partnership with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse that has included energy-efficiency upgrades, a new high-temperature carbonate fuel cell and two state-of-the-art chillers and other cooling improvements. The combined results of these improvements save SUNY ESF about $170,000 annually and have and reduced oil consumption by 2, 500 barrels a year.
We have had a hand in putting more than 970 electric and hybrid- electric vehicles in service with our customers and in our own operations. Our efforts to promote electric-drive transportation are helping to create a cleaner environment. That’s true as well for our initiatives to demonstrate and advance cleaner new energy technologies such as fuel cells and solar power. One of our rooftop solar photovoltaic projects is located in Amsterdam. (Learn more about our energy efficiency, new technology and clean transportation initiatives.)
Community Involvement
The U.S. Department of the Interior honored the Power Authority with its highest outdoor recreation award for the varied conservation, recreational and cultural facilities developed as part of the Blenheim–Gilboa project. In addition to building the 650-acre Mine Kill State Park, we restored Lansing Manor and operate it as a museum in conjunction with the Schoharie County Historical Society. We also maintain an award-winning 2 1/2-mile Bluebird trail. At the Blenheim-Gilboa project’s admission-free visitors center, we play host to over 40,000 visitors each year. Many of them are students who come to participate in energy education, electrical safety and environmental programs. In addition to staging an array of activities at the B-G project, the Power Authority co-sponsors community events and festivals in Central New York. Check our web calendar for community events nearest you.