NYSERDA Updates

Following, you will find monthly updates about NYSERDA's programs for affordable and market-rate residential buildings, including one- to four-family homes and apartment buildings. This column will keep you informed about new incentives or changes to existing programs that apply to NYC.

June 30^th, 2009

Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Challenge for K-12 Educators

NYSERDA is offering awards of up to $500 per classroom to spur creative approaches to encouraging energy-efficient behavior in school, at home, and in the community.  Funds can be used to purchase supplies for use in hands-on activities related to energy efficiency or for community education events.

Kindergarten through grade 12 teachers and informal educators are invited to apply. Applications must be received by September 30, 2009.  Winners will be chosen based on their creativity in delivering the climate change message and the extent to which students take a leadership role in school and community efforts.

To view the complete application and proposal package, please visit NYSERDA's Energy Smart Students website, click on 'Energy Education.' and go to 'What's New?'

June 1, 2009

Up-to-Date information on Energy-Related Recovery

NYSERDA has created an Economic Recover Web page to provide information on the full range of federal and state energy-related economic recovery programs. NYSERDA is providing this information as a service to help New Yorkers take advantage of the opportunities offered by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

In addition to information on NYSERDA’s economic recovery programs, the site includes links to related opportunities available through other New York State and federal agencies.  By signing up to receive updates, you will receive email notification when additional or updated information has been added.  

Changes to the Residential Energy $mart Loan Fund

The New York Energy $martSM Loan Fund Program provides an interest rate reduction from participating lenders' normal loan interest rates for a term of up to ten years for projects participating in NYSERDA programs.

Changes to the Residential Loan Fund effective April 1, 2009 Include:

Con Edison customers are no longer eligible for a 6.5% after March 31, 2009. The floor interest rate is being implemented to preserve incentive funds.. New construction projects remain eligible for other incentives through the Multifamily Performance Program. The Loan Fund may continue to be used to finance existing multifamily buildings, existing homes and solar projects.

All applications submitted to NYSERDA after March 31, 2009 fall within the new guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact resloanfund [at] nyserda [dot] org.

• The Loan Fund reduces the participating lenders' interest rates by up to 4%.
• Interest rates can be reduced to a minimum rate of 3%.
• Multifamily New Construction projects are no longer eligible to participate in the Residential Loan Fund.

Governor Paterson Announces Selection of Francis J. Murray to Serve as NYSERDA President and CEO

Governor David A. Paterson announced on January 26th 2009 that the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) Board of Directors has elected Francis J. Murray to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Murray most recently served as Senior Advisor at the environmental consulting firm Ecology and Environment, Inc., a post he has held since 1998. Prior to that, Mr. Murray worked from 1997 to 1998 as Policy Advisor to the United States Secretary of Energy, assisting in the development of the Clinton Administration's national energy policy. From 1992 to 1994, Mr. Murray served as the New York State Commissioner of Energy and Chairman of the NYSERDA Board of Directors, then a statutory function of the State Energy Commissioner. In 1985, Mr. Murray was appointed Deputy Secretary for Energy and the Environment, a position he held until 1992. He served from 1983 to 1985 as Assistant Secretary for Energy and the Environment in the administration of New York State Governor Mario M. Cuomo. Mr. Murray began his work on New York State energy issues as an energy and environmental policy advisor to Governor Hugh Carey from 1980 to 1982. Mr. Murray received his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, and his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center.

NYSERDA Creates New NYC Director Position: Michael Colgrove to Lead City Operations

NYSERDA has created a new senior position in the NYC office; Michael Colgrove is the new Director of Energy Programs for NYSERDA's New York City office.  Colgrove's responsibilities include leading the New York City staff to promote, design, implement and deliver commercial/industrial, and residential energy efficiency programs to businesses and residents of New York City. He is committed to leading and achieving NYSERDA's established energy efficiency goals for New York City energy consumers.  Colgrove has been in NYSERDA's NYC office since 2001; before accepting this promotion, he was a Senior Project Manager in the Residential Efficiency and Affordability Program.  Prior to coming to NYSERDA, he was a Project Manager and Energy Manager for the Association for Energy Affordability and a Professor at New York City Technical College where he taught building owners, managers and maintenance staff energy management procedures.  Colgrove was also an Energy Manager at Apex Environmental Inc., where he performed comprehensive energy audits and lighting surveys on U.S. Postal Service facilities and integrated geothermal heat pump, day-lighting, photovoltaic, and fuel cell technologies into retrofit work scopes.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Alaska and a Master of Science degree in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology.

• Solar Incentives Available: After an unanticipated surge in applications for NYSERDA solar incentives, the Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an Order, effective October 28, 2008, to reallocate funding to for solar incentives. As part of that Order, the PSC authorized $20.6 million for the solar photovoltaic (PV) category. Please visit http://www.powernaturally.com/Programs/Solar/incentives.asp for more information. The PSC's full Order is here.
• Additional Funds Available to Oil-Heated Homes in the Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program The Assisted Home Performance subsidy for income-qualified households who heat with home heating oil is being raised to 60% of the cost of an eligible work scope (up to $6,000 for a single family home). This is effective immediately and until the limited funding runs out. If you heat your home with oil, ask your Home Performance contractor about this additional incentive.
• New Incentives for NYC Contractors to join NYSERDA's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program. For a limited time, NYC contractors are eligible to receive 100% reimbursement for training and test fees to become certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI), which sets nationally recognized technical standards. BPI certification is a prerequisite to joining the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program which provides incentives to both homeowners and contractors to undertake energy efficiency improvements in one- to four-family homes. For more information: www.getenergysmart.org
• Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program provides increased incentives to homeowners for making energy efficiency improvements. Enriched incentives are now available to income eligible households and/or households that use Con Ed gas to help pay for: insulation, air sealing, adjusting heating and hot water systems and other costs. For more information: www.getenergysmart.org/SingleFamilyHomes/ExistingBuilding/HomeOwner.aspx
• EmPower New YorkSM offers no-cost energy services to income-qualified households. EmPower is available to individual tenants; it may also be combined with the Weatherization Assistance Program for multifamily building renovations. Services may include: replacement of old, inefficient appliances; installation of high-efficiency lighting and tips on how to save energy. Con Ed Gas customers are also eligible for insulation, heating system upgrades, air sealing and conversions from electric to gas clothes dryers and water heaters. As an individual household, you are eligible if you: meet the income guidelines (receipt of HEAP, Public Assistance, SSI or Food Stamp recipient automatically determines income eligibility) and you live in a building with 100 living units or less. For more information and to apply, call Honeywell International at 1-800-263-0960.
• NYSERDA and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation team up to encourage CFL bulb recycling. In order to promote the use of energy- saving compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs and to provide residents with a convenient outlet for spent lamps, you can establish a CFL Collection Center. For more information call: 1-877-NYSTAR1.