Funding Electric Infrastructure Upgrades
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that $250 million is available for a broad range of renewable energy generation projects.
This funding is a component of Cuomo’s Energy Highway Blueprint that is designed to upgrade and modernize New York’s aging energy infrastructure.
Funding for these renewable projects is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) through the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), and is targeted to electric generation projects that use wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass or other clean-energy resources. The projects will not only help expand the state’s renewable energy portfolio but will assist the state in reducing its carbon footprint.
“As New York State looks to upgrade and improve its energy infrastructure, renewable energy will play an even greater role in providing power that is more reliable, efficient and environmentally sustainable,” said Cuomo. “Through the RPS, the state is investing in its future. These projects will not only help diversify costs of energy efficiency improvements.
Progress has already been made in the last few months, according to the governor. Data has been collected on over 180 million square feet of buildings and campuses-about 95 percent of the state’s building stock, and work has started on 30 million square feet of real estate.
To support Cuomo’s efforts to increase energy efficiency, a new web platform was launched that posts progress reports, case studies, energy savings, project costs, and other information to the public, providing greater accountability and transparency on government spending and performance. With this site, New York State is also pioneering the use of big data and social networking technologies to create transparency around building energy efficiency, drive innovation, and accelerate projects.
The platform is powered by technology from New York City start-up, Honest Buildings, Inc. For information, visit www.buildsmart.ny.gov.
