Mirabito stores to offer EV charging stations

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ONEONTA — New York State on May 18 announced the first of five planned high-speed electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs at Mirabito convenience store/gas stations across the region. The project is made possible by an agreement between Mirabito and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the office of Gov Andrew Cuomo announced May 18. The […]

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ONEONTA — New York State on May 18 announced the first of five planned high-speed electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs at Mirabito convenience store/gas stations across the region.

The project is made possible by an agreement between Mirabito and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the office of Gov Andrew Cuomo announced May 18.

The southside Oneonta location is the first site hosted by Mirabito convenience stores, a family-owned and operated energy retailer based in Binghamton.

The other Mirabito sites include two in Syracuse, along with stores in Castle Creek and Binghamton in Broome County. Construction will begin in June, Cuomo’s office said.

NYPA will construct, own, and operate the EVolve NY charging network in coordination with Mirabito site hosts.

The new EVolve NY charging hubs will offer a total of 19 chargers at the five Mirabito sites. The Oneonta location will represent the seventh installation in NYPA’s EVolve NY statewide charging infrastructure network.

The five hubs, operational by this fall, will offer emission-free electric charging to New Yorkers.

The new chargers are part of NYPA’s EVolve NY charging-infrastructure network. NYPA is installing the chargers along key travel corridors and in urban areas to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, Cuomo’s office said.

EVolve NY will install up to 150 chargers across New York state by the end of 2021, which will give New York the third- largest open-access (available to all EVs), more than 150 kilowatt, fast-charging network in the U.S.

After this EVolve NY buildout phase is complete, New Yorkers will be able to drive any electric vehicle from, for example, Binghamton to Buffalo, or from Albany to Montreal with chargers capable of recharging their vehicles in 15-30 minutes located every 50 miles or less, per Cuomo’s office.

EVolve NY sites opened since last fall include LaGrangeville, Watertown, Malone, Schroon Lake, Fairport, and the largest public charging hub in the Northeast at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens.

“NYPA is pleased that this partnership with Mirabito, our first venture with a multi-site host, will help us significantly expand our reach and make fast charging easily accessible to more communities,” Gil Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO, said. “By working together to deploy high-speed chargers at prime locations throughout the state, we are making it easier for more drivers to opt for zero-emission vehicles, knowing they can travel long distances without having to worry about their next charge.”

State plans solar-energy project at site of former St. Lawrence County iron-ore mine

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Regional News, Subscriber Only

CLIFTON — New York State plans to repurpose formerly mined land in St. Lawrence County into one of the “largest solar projects” in the Adirondack Park. The project will create about 100 construction jobs in support of New York’s green economy. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) executed the land-lease agreement

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CLIFTON — New York State plans to repurpose formerly mined land in St. Lawrence County into one of the “largest solar projects” in the Adirondack Park.

The project will create about 100 construction jobs in support of New York’s green economy.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) executed the land-lease agreement with Benson Mines, Inc., with support from the Town of Clifton, the Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corporation, St. Lawrence County, and the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency (IDA). Located on the northwest edge of the Adirondack Park, the 20-megawatt Build-Ready (BR) Benson Mines Solar project will be built on the remnants of Benson’s former iron-ore mining operation spanning about 130 acres. Once completed, the project will provide enough renewable energy to power more than 4,500 homes.

NYSERDA tells CNYBJ that it is not yet able to provide a definitive timeline, but a BR project from site identification to operation is typically two to four years. A May 25 public meeting in the town of Clifton was one of the first steps in the process, NYSERDA added.

The authority also noted that the project costs will be determined when the developer is selected through the auction process.

“The repurposing of this former mine in the Adirondack Park represents the innovative thinking that we need to put into action in order to compete in a green energy economy,” Cuomo contended in a release. “As we rebuild and reimagine our economy, projects like this will go a long way in helping us reach our renewable energy goals while creating opportunities for economic growth and fostering cleaner, healthier communities across New York.”

Beginning in the 1800s, the discovery of iron ore and its subsequent mining at Benson Mines has played a “foundational role” in the history of the towns of Clifton and Fine, and at its peak, the mine was considered the largest open-pit iron-ore mine in the world, Cuomo’s office said. It closed in the mid-1970s and is now an aggregates and timber company serving the North Country.

NYSERDA said it will work with community leaders, business partners, and regional partner agencies to explore different community-benefit options, such as payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements, customized host community agreements, opportunities for workforce development and job-training programs, and offer free technical assistance along the way.

The authority adds that it will work with the town to ensure the project “complements the community’s character” and long-term planning — including development considerations for the neighboring J&L Steel site — to help create new local revenue and attract additional economic-development opportunities for the area.

NYPA’s NY Energy Zone visitor center opens in Utica

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

UTICA, N.Y. — The New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) newly constructed NY Energy Zone visitor center in Utica has opened its doors. It’s an admission-free facility that provides an “immersive, interactive, state-of-the-art museum experience” focused on the past, present, and future of energy in New York state, NYPA contends in a release. The facility on

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UTICA, N.Y. — The New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) newly constructed NY Energy Zone visitor center in Utica has opened its doors.

It’s an admission-free facility that provides an “immersive, interactive, state-of-the-art museum experience” focused on the past, present, and future of energy in New York state, NYPA contends in a release.

The facility on May 10 opened for small-guided tours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, following New York State indoor family-entertainment center guidelines for COVID.

The 15,000-square-foot facility includes exhibits that simulate flying a drone to check power transmission lines, controlling electricity on a model energy grid, operating a simulated power plant, and building a table-top micro power grid, along with other activities designed to teach visitors about energy and electricity in New York.

Visitors can also see “Imagination!” — the first movie of its kind utilizing 3-D MAGI film generation by famed cinematographer and director Douglas Trumbull. He is known for his visual-effects photography in the films “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) and “Blade Runner” (1982). The 3-D movie seeks to inform viewers about Nikola Tesla and his “lasting contributions” to the electricity system of today.

NYPA has added a reservation system that allows for scheduling limited, 60-minute guided tours. To reserve a tour, you can also call (315) 792-8720 or email EnergyZone@nypa.gov.

The visitor center, which is affiliated with the Power Authority’s Frederick R. Clark Energy Center — the hub of its statewide power transmission control center located in Marcy — was dedicated to former NYPA Chairman John Dyson at a naming ceremony held April 23.

“Utica is a natural location for this museum of energy because it complements the work of our Frederick R. Clark Energy Center, NYPA’s system-wide energy transmission complex in Marcy,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr., a NYPA trustee, said. “I am grateful to my colleagues at the Power Authority for their vision in conceiving and developing this magnificent facility in Oneida County that will inspire our next generation of energy leaders and benefit all New Yorkers for decades to come.”

NYSERDA offers $15M in 3rd Commercial & Industrial Carbon Challenge

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Subscriber Only, Technology

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on May 18 launched the third round of the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Carbon Challenge. NYSERDA made $15 million available as part of the 11th round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative that was announced May 11. The C&I

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ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on May 18 launched the third round of the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Carbon Challenge.

NYSERDA made $15 million available as part of the 11th round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative that was announced May 11.

The C&I Carbon Challenge seeks to reduce carbon emissions at commercial and industrial businesses and institutions, combat climate change, and drive economic growth across the state, NYSERDA contends.

The announcement supports Cuomo’s goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

The C&I Carbon Challenge is a competitive program that provides funding to large commercial and industrial energy users to implement various cost-effective clean-energy projects that reduce carbon emissions. The third round of funding is being made available to eligible businesses and institutions including, but not limited to, manufacturers, colleges, universities, health-care facilities, and office- building owners in New York state.

Project proposals may employ a combination of energy or manufacturing-process-efficiency strategies, carbon-capture technology, renewable generation, or energy storage.

Funding is available through the state’s 10-year, $5.3 billion clean-energy fund.

The challenge will provide awards ranging from $500,000 to $5 million to partially offset clean-energy project costs for the very largest commercial and industrial energy users in the state, with an aggregate 12-month average demand of 3-megawatts or greater. The deadline to apply for the third round through the state’s consolidated funding application is July 30 at 4 p.m.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us in many ways. New York is ready to help companies continue to get back on track with certain programs like the Carbon Challenge,” Randy Wolken, president & CEO of MACNY, the Manufacturers Association, said in the release. “NYSERDA’s Carbon Challenge is designed to support large energy consumers by providing them with the flexibility for strategic decarbonization projects that could help lower energy costs and create green energy jobs.”

How it works

The state is providing funding in two categories. Category A offers $10 million for proposals that incorporate solutions of interest, including beneficial electrification and reducing emissions related to manufacturing processes, to lower the applicant’s carbon footprint. Category B offers $5 million for proposals that involve energy efficiency; on-site clean-energy generation; or any other greenhouse-gas reducing solution not identified in Category A.

NYSERDA will select competition winners based on their plans for project implementation, institutional commitment to sustainability, overall level of greenhouse-gas emissions reduced, and their potential to beneficially impact disadvantaged communities.

The challenge is expected to reduce statewide carbon emissions by about 650,000 metric tons, or the equivalent of removing 140,000 cars from the road. NYSERDA expects to announce the third-round awards in early 2022.

Past Carbon Challenge awardees, including second-round winners, have featured colleges and universities, office buildings, and businesses in manufacturing sectors. Collectively, they committed to reducing over 1.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road, NYSERDA said.

Program purpose

Commercial and industrial buildings account for 33 percent of the energy-related greenhouse-gas emissions in New York state. NYSERDA contends its initiatives and programs can benefit most businesses and organizations across the state, but large energy consumers have unique needs and solutions when it comes to increasing efficiency and lowering emissions.

The C&I Carbon Challenge gives large energy consumers the flexibility to tap into their in-house expertise to reduce their carbon footprint and control their energy costs, per NYSERDA.

In addition, the program aligns with the recommendations produced by the Energy Intensive and Trade Exposed Industries (EITE) advisory panel and recently submitted to New York’s Climate Action Council, the authority added.

National Grid uses electric-powered backhoe in field work

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Subscriber Only

CICERO — National Grid (NYSE: NGG) says it is one of the first utilities to incorporate a fully electric-powered backhoe into its fleet. The company is working with John Deere to test a fully electric backhoe that it contends performs “equivalently” to other diesel-powered equipment. National Grid on May 18 offered a demonstration at its

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CICERO — National Grid (NYSE: NGG) says it is one of the first utilities to incorporate a fully electric-powered backhoe into its fleet.

The company is working with John Deere to test a fully electric backhoe that it contends performs “equivalently” to other diesel-powered equipment.

National Grid on May 18 offered a demonstration at its Beacon North Service Center at 7496 Round Pond Road in Cicero.

The utility says construction sites are “noisy places” with heavy, diesel-fueled equipment digging, moving and lifting materials, and the use of an electric backhoe can make them quieter, greener worksites.

“The battery-powered backhoe is performing similarly to its diesel-fueled counterpart that we use in the field,” Holly Oyer, National Grid director of gas field operations for Central New York, said. “There are many advantages of using this equipment, chief among them is the noise reduction on the work site, allowing for better communication between supervisors and crew members while a job is in progress.”

Using battery-operated equipment will help National Grid reach its companywide emissions target of net zero by 2050 and supports the company’s initiatives to increase the number of electric vehicles across its service area, the utility said.

“National Grid is leading the way on incorporating battery-powered construction equipment into our business, and this new backhoe loader directly supports our efforts to reach the goal of zero-emissions by 2050,” Rudy Wynter, National Grid’s New York president, said. “We are taking this step in committing to sustainability in all matters of our business, from reducing waste, to fleet management and community improvement, to help achieve this target.”

The backhoe is equipped with the John Deere-developed E-Power battery, electric-vehicle design.

“This project is another stepping-stone in our backhoe innovation journey, and we’re excited about what we can learn from this phase for subsequent electrification testing and design refinement,” Brian Hennings, product manager of backhoes at John Deere, said.

National Grid is an electricity, natural gas, and clean-energy delivery company serving more than 20 million customers through its networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

30th annual Project Bloom underway in Oswego and Fulton

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OSWEGO — Project Bloom, a communitywide beautification program, began May 24 and will run throughout the summer season in the cities of Oswego and Fulton. The program offers businesses in Fulton the opportunity to purchase baskets to decorate their entryways or sponsor welcome signs. In Oswego, businesses may purchase banners that are placed along downtown

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New conservation easement to protect Ithaca water supply

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CAROLINE, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) on May 25 announced the acquisition of a conservation easement on 126 acres in the town of Caroline in Tompkins County and the Six Mile Creek Watershed. The DEC said it awarded FLLT more than $641,000 in

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The DEC said it awarded FLLT more than $641,000 in a Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program grant for this and other projects in the Six Mile Creek Watershed to help protect the city of Ithaca’s public drinking-water supply.

Known as the Lounsbery property, this parcel is located upstream of the city of Ithaca’s drinking-water supply and is situated entirely within the Six Mile Creek watershed, per a DEC news release. The acquisition adds to a previously acquired conservation easement of more than 13 acres in the town of Dryden that was also supported by this WQIP grant, the department added. The parcel has more than 6,200 feet of frontage on Six Mile Creek. To protect the creek, FLLT established a 24-acre environmental protection zone around the water that will contain a riparian buffer that will be restored with help from the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District. The FLLT also received funding from the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County to provide long-term stewardship of the easement. The release didn’t specify how much funding.

The Lounsbery property covers about 48 acres of forested lands and more than nine acres of wetlands. “These naturally occurring features contribute to critical source water protection, helping to slow down runoff after storm events, filtering and absorbing pollutants, and reducing drinking water treatment costs,” the DEC said. Buffers also offer valuable wildlife habitat.

“This project will help ensure Ithaca’s drinking water supply while at the same time conserving an iconic family farm and scenic woodlands that provide a backdrop to the hamlet of Brooktondale,” Andrew Zepp, Finger Lakes Land Trust executive director, said in the release.

The FLLT says it has protected more than 26,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of more than 35 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 157 properties that remain in private ownership.

NBT Bank

People on the Move, Subscriber Only

KRISTEN FLYNN, call center manager at NBT Bank, has been promoted to vice president. Flynn joined NBT in 2004 as operations supervisor. In her current role, she leads a contact-center team in supporting a high volume of inbound and outbound calls and messages, and developing process improvements and efficiencies. Flynn earned a bachelor’s degree in

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ALEXANDRA GORSKI

People on the Move, Subscriber Only

ALEXANDRA GORSKI has joined Community Bank N.A. as VP and commercial banking officer in DeWitt. In her new role, Gorski will establish and oversee commercial-banking client relationships in the Central New York region. She will assist clients with a range of financial services, including lines of credit, commercial mortgages, construction loans, deposits, and cash-management services.

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STAN DAKOSTY

People on the Move, Subscriber Only

STAN DAKOSTY has been named interim head coach for the Colgate football team for the 2021 season. He has served as associate head football coach at Colgate since 2017 and first joined the football staff in 2007. Dakosty recently coached the secondary and previously was the program’s recruiting coordinator. He has been a part of

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