An innovative use of capacitor banks allows NYPA to provide up to 440 megawatts of additional transmission capacity, enough to power more than 400,000 homes, without building new transmission lines. It helps relieve transmission bottlenecks that affect the ability to deliver surplus upstate less expensive electricity to the downstate region. The project involved the installation of three series capacitor banks which reduce the impedances of two transmission lines improve transmission efficiency. They are the first series capacitor banks installed in New York State.

From a mission-control-style operations center, New York Energy Manager engineers collect and monitor energy use data from thousands of state-owned and managed buildings throughout NY. The program’s advanced data analysis capacity allows building managers to fine-tune building performance.

NYPA and SUNY New Paltz have collaborated on a power generation and storage project, creating a microgrid that will allow the Elting Gymnasium at SUNY New Paltz to better serve as an emergency shelter on campus. The system provides solar-power generation with battery storage and employs a hybrid power converter and backup generator that would supply power in case of an outage that lasts longer than the battery supply. NYPA is implementing the project and provided more than $580,000 in funding. The project received an additional $271,720 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and $210,000 from Central Hudson Gas & Electric, the local utility. Additional costs will be financed by NYPA and repaid by the college through the expected energy savings.

NYPA, NYSERDA and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are also funding research to identify the ongoing technical and economic benefits of the project. The research is being done through EPRI’s Integrated Grid initiative and directly supports the REV strategy.

NYPA’s R&D team developed forensic testing procedures to better understand the failure modes and degradation mechanisms of power transformer bushings. Bushings are insulated devices that allow an electrical conductor to pass safely from one point to another. When bushings are damaged or fail, electricity can be leaked out to surrounding areas and cause burning or arcing. Alan Ettlinger, NYPA director of research, technology development and innovation, and Ramadan Elmoudi, research and technology development engineer, received an award from the Electric Power Research Institute for this cutting-edge work.