Energy efficiency grants announced
Three entities in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties have received $465,283 in stimulus funding to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings, Gov. David A. Paterson announced Monday.
In Jefferson County, the Thousand Islands Central School District was given $163,760 to install a 20-kilowatt wind turbine, which is expected to reduce the district's electric bill by $7,474 a year. The location of the turbine has not yet been decided.
Superintendent Joseph A. Menard said the turbine would save the district money in the long run and serve as a great educational tool for its students. However, he said, the school district is facing cuts in state aid and must first determine whether erecting a wind turbine is the best use of funds in the current economic climate.
"Our next step is to discuss this project with the school board and gather public input before we decide to move forward," Mr. Menard said.
The town of Alexandria was awarded $122,652 to install a 20-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the town office building.
Alexandria Supervisor Martha M. Millet said the system would save the town more than $4,500 per year in electrical costs, almost half of the town building's annual electrical expenditures.
The plan is to mount 90 solar modules on the roof of the town building on Old Goose Bay Road. The grant will fund 90 percent of the total project cost, which is estimated at $136,280, and the town will use its own funds to cover the remaining $13,628. If the electric rate remains the same, the town would recoup its initial investment in less than three years.
In St. Lawrence County, SUNY Potsdam received $178,871 to install new boilers. By replacing its boilers with new high-performance condensing boilers, the university is expected to cut its heating costs by nearly $57,000 annually.
"At a time when we are all trying to leave a smaller footprint on the environment, this is most welcome news. SUNY Potsdam works hard every day to be more energy efficient, and this is a nice acknowledgment of those efforts," said John F. Schwaller, president of SUNY Potsdam.
These projects were three of the 118 energy conservation projects that will receive a total of $40 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's State Energy Program funding.
"These funds will provide public and non-profit entities with critical resources needed to make long-term investments that will reduce their energy costs and save taxpayers money," Gov. Paterson said in a press release.
The projects are expected to reduce energy and operating costs by $13.5 million annually and are expected to fully return the initial investment in less than seven years, the press release said.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority received more than 300 proposals for energy conservation projects, including installations of energy-efficient lighting, photovoltaic systems, high-efficiency boilers, small wind generators and alternative-fuel refueling stations and vehicles.
Additional awards are expected to be made before the end of the year, and proposals for the next round of funding, which will provide a total of $8.8 million, are due April 7 to NYSERDA.
ON THE NET
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority: www.nyserda.org/fund
ing/1613rfp.asp
