Up to $5 Million Per Project Now Available for Eligible Projects Proposed to Be Completed and Operational by 2025
Accelerates Progress Toward State's Nation-Leading Climate Goals of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions 85 Percent by 2050
Helps Ensure At Least 35 Percent of the Benefits of Clean Energy Investments Are Directed to Disadvantaged Communities
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the $10 million Commercial and Industrial Accelerated Efficiency Program. This program assists large energy-intensive entities in their efforts to reduce on-site consumption of fossil fuels through energy efficiency and electrification actions. This program will provide up to $5 million per project that is proposed to be completed and operational by 2025. Today's announcement helps advance the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050 and ensure at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities.
"Through this new initiative, we are providing the commercial and industrial sectors of New York's economy with critical incentives to implement projects that reduce their carbon footprint and help meet our ambitious climate goals," Governor Hochul said. "I am heartened by the increasing number of companies that are seeking ways to advance our work in creating more resilient communities especially those historically left behind
as we continue to bring meaningful health and economic benefits to all New Yorkers as part of our expanding green economy."
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen Harris said, "Launching this new program demonstrates NYSERDA's commitment to investing in partnerships that help to make some of New York's largest energy users cleaner and more efficient. The commitments to energy efficiency and reducing on-site emissions from these operations will reduce pollution in our communities, pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable future, and serve as an example of climate action for other large energy users."
The program is designed to reduce emissions from operations in difficult-to-decarbonize and energy intensive sectors and eliminate harmful co-pollutants in the communities of operation. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) scoring criteria gives preference for greenhouse gas emission reductions that occur in designated disadvantaged communities and deliver benefits in such communities.
The program is open to key manufacturing industries and commercial campus settings such as: paper; petroleum; primary metals; non-metallic minerals; chemicals; food; fabricated metal products; transportation equipment; computers and electronics; college and university campuses; and health care facility campuses. Support operations such as warehousing and distribution sites, miningand extraction, as well as water and wastewater are also eligible. For additional qualification requirements, please visit NYSERDA's website.
The program is open to commercial building owners whose energy expenditures are at least $1 million annually and industrial companies who spend at least $500,000 on energy annually. Additionally, Proposers will be required to identify an energy saving goal and projects they will complete to meet that target. Awards will range from $500,000 to $5 million. Selection will be based on ranked scores that prioritize large thermal energy savings, emissions savings, cost effectiveness, peak load reduction, and accelerated installations. Projects must use commercially available technology and be installed within a two-year period.
Examples of eligible measures include:
- Energy efficiency improvements
- Process efficiency improvements
- Energy/ heat recovery
- Ground-source and air-source heat pumps
- Electrification of thermal loads
- Energy Management Systems and controls
- Operations and Maintenance improvements
Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on August 31, 2023. More information about the program is available on NYSERDA's website.
Funding for this initiative is through the State's 10-year, $6 billion Clean Energy Fund. More information about this funding is available on NYSERDA's website.
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation's most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2021 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York's climate action with nearly 400 registered and 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State's largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
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