Honored for reducing energy consumption, cutting costs  

SYRACUSE — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has designated the City of Syracuse a “Clean Energy Community.”

NYSERDA is “recognizing the city’s leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs, and driving clean energy locally,” the City of Syracuse said in an early August news release.

The authority awarded the designation after the city completed four “high-impact,” clean-energy actions identified by NYSERDA as part of the Clean Energy Communities Program. In addition, the designation gives Syracuse the chance to apply for up to $150,000 toward additional clean-energy projects, “with no local cost share.”

“We want to lead by example and be more energy efficient, use renewable energy, and encourage more sustainable development,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said. “These steps would be a lot harder to take without the help of Gov. Cuomo and the assistance of NYSERDA.”

The four “high-impact,” clean-energy actions that Syracuse completed included the use of multiple, compressed natural gas vehicles in the municipal fleet.

Second, it organized the Solarize campaign with the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, a program that helped local homeowners “explore the viability of powering their homes with on-site solar.” 

Third, the city is also using the New York State unified solar permit for rooftop solar installations. The form, which is available for statewide use, gives rooftop solar installers “more consistency” in the permitting process from one municipality to another.

Fourth, the city is benchmarking energy use for city-owned buildings. Under this ordinance, Syracuse committed to tracking energy use for city-owned and occupied buildings and will post performance data to its website “every year.”

“I applaud the City of Syracuse for its actions incorporating renewable energy and energy efficiency into the core of its operations to help cut costs and reduce energy consumption,” Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said in the release. “Communities across the state play a vital role in driving Gov. Cuomo’s nation-leading commitments to reduce greenhouse gases, thereby ensuring a cleaner, greener New York.”

About the initiative 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the $16 million Clean Energy Communities Program in August 2016. It offers grants to eligible municipalities to implement energy-efficiency, renewable-energy, and sustainable-development projects in their communities. 

Cities, counties, towns, and villages that complete at least four of 10 “high-impact” clean-energy actions are designated Clean Energy Communities and are eligible to apply for funding of up to $250,000 with no local cost share and the option of receiving up to 25 percent paid in advance to support additional clean-energy projects. 

At least two of the four actions must have been completed after Aug. 1, 2016. NYSERDA is accepting applications for funding on a rolling basis through Sept. 30, 2019, or until funds are exhausted, “whichever comes first.” 

Funding is available through the clean-energy fund and the regional greenhouse-gas initiative.

Other steps

Additional clean-energy action items that communities can pursue to earn the designation include providing energy code-enforcement training to code officers.

They can also work on implementing community choice aggregation so residents can have “greater choice and control over energy use a group.”

Communities can also earn Climate Smart Communities certification through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for developing a “comprehensive” program to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the environment.

They can also perform energy efficiency and renewable-energy upgrades on municipal buildings.

In addition, communities can establish an Energize NY finance program that enables long-term, affordable property assessed clean energy financing for energy efficiency and renewable-energy projects at commercial buildings and nonprofits.

They can convert streetlights to energy-efficient, light-emitting diode (LED) technology.

Once all funding is exhausted for large or small/medium categories in a region, local governments designated a Clean Energy Community are eligible to apply for a $5,000 grant, “on a first-come, first-serve basis until such funds are exhausted.”

Clean Energy Community coordinators are also available “at no charge” to help communities to develop and prioritize clean-energy goals; access easy-to-use resources such as guidance documents and case studies; and take advantage of available funding and technical assistance opportunities, the state says.    

New York dairy farmers produced 1.284 billion pounds of milk in July, up 0.6 percent from 1.276 billion pounds in the year-ago period, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported.

Production per cow in the state averaged 2,065 pounds in July, up 0.6 percent from 2,045 pounds a year prior.

The number of milk cows on farms in New York state totaled 622,000 head in July, down slightly from 624,000 head in July 2017, NASS reported.

New York dairy farmers received an average milk price of $16.90 per hundredweight in June, up 50 cents from May, but down 70 cents from June 2017.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, dairy farmers produced 902 million pounds of milk in July, down 0.7 percent from 908 million pounds in July 2017, according to the report.                  

ITHACA — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recently announced that Tompkins County has installed 11 new electric-vehicle charging stations as it seeks to become the first “Electric Vehicle Model County” in New York state. 

The installations are part of the state’s Electric Vehicle Accelerator initiative, a pilot project to help municipalities become models for electric-vehicle use and supports Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 40 percent by 2030, according to a NYSERDA news release. Administered by the authority, the Electric Vehicle Accelerator initiative was created to help municipalities build electric-vehicle ecosystems. Tompkins County is the second municipality to participate after the City of Rochester launched its pilot last year. Both are partnering with local organizations and businesses as part of the project. 

“With every new electric vehicle charging station installed, New Yorkers are finding it easier than ever to drive clean and drive electric. I congratulate Tompkins County for being a leader in making electric vehicles a cornerstone of their efforts to fight climate change …,” Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said in the release.