Senator Nozzolio Announces $2.4 Million For Clean Energy Projects
Albany — New York State Senator Michael F. Nozzolio (R-Fayette) announced $2.4 million in funding awarded to support 3 distributed generation and combined heat and power (DG/CHP) projects throughout the Finger Lakes Region. The projects support the State's energy goals by augmenting the availability of clean and efficient generation capacity and the development of technologies for use in combined heat and power applications.
“This innovative approach will create opportunities for consumers to save on energy cost and also benefit the environment,” said Senator Nozzolio. This funding will enable New York State to grow and continue to lead the nation in deploying and demonstrating on-site distributed technologies.”
The projects should create new generating capacity with over one-half of that fueled by renewable fuels such as landfill or anaerobic digester gases. These projects will allow commercial, agricultural, and industrial energy users to generate their own electricity and use their waste heat from electricity generation in more productive ways.
The projects selected for funding include:
· $1 million in assistance to Global Common, LLC, in Union Springs of Cayuga County.
· $1 million in assistance to Cayuga County Soil and Water Conversation District
· $473,871 in assistance to Innovative Energy Systems in Seneca Falls
To date NYSERDA’s DG-CHP program has been highly successful. Since its inception in 2001, NYSERDA has solicited DG-CHP projects through five rounds of funding, receiving nearly 500 proposals of which more than 100 CHP demonstration projects, and 50 product development projects were selected for funding. As of today, 34 CHP demonstration projects are operational producing more than 13 MW of electricity. It is expected that nearly 40 MW of electricity will be produced by the end of 2005.
“This is a win-win situation and we are very excited about this much needed funding,” said Jim Hotaling, the Director of Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District. This technology will benefit the environment while also reducing the cost for energy consumers. I would like to thank Senator Nozzolio for his efforts in securing this funding for Cayuga County.”
“We appreciate and share the vision with Senator Nozzolio and Governor Pataki for clean air technology,” said Don Gentilcore, Area Manager for IESI Seneca Meadows Inc. This funding provides a perfect jumpstart for Seneca Meadows Renewable Resource Park and our first tenant H2gro.”
Combined heat and power applications provide much greater overall efficiency than centralized power plants by taking advantage of the waste heat generated and turning it into usable energy. The efficiency of a typical combined heat and power system approaches 70 percent, while the overall efficiency of centralized power plants is about 35 percent due to generator heat losses at centralized plants, and transmission losses in delivering power from the plant to the customer.
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