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NYPA announces first BuildSmart NY annual progress report

by jmaloni

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Tue, Mar 4th 2014 04:15 pm

State program improving energy performance at state government facilities

The New York Power Authority announced Tuesday the issuance of an energy efficiency progress report that shows the energy performance of New York state government buildings improved by nearly 5 percent in the first year of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's BuildSmart NY Initiative.

The initiative, which is being administered by NYPA, is intended to reduce energy consumption at state facilities by 20 percent by 2020.

The BuildSmart NY progress report, which was released today, reveals the agencies that operate the state's universities, prisons, hospitals, offices and other facilities are well on their way to meeting the governor's statewide mandate. The report highlights an overall reduction in energy use per square foot at state government facilities by 4.7 percent and a corresponding decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by more than 130,000 tons a year. This is the first of what will be an annual submittal on the state facility energy performance, as required by Executive Order 88, which the governor issued in December 2012.

"I want to thank Gov. Cuomo for the confidence he has shown in the New York Power Authority being the lead in implementing his ambitious energy efficiency agenda for state government facilities," said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. "In its first year, BuildSmart NY has made impressive headway in putting the state government on a solid path toward economic and environmental benefits by optimizing its energy efficiency."

"The initial success displayed by state agencies exemplifies Gov. Cuomo's progressive vision of government leading by example," said Richard L. Kauffman, chairman of Energy and Finance for New York state. "NYPA's strategic approach to statewide energy management through BuildSmart NY demonstrates to private building operators and the financial markets that investments in clean energy projects can achieve impressive returns when brought to scale."

"The BuildSmart NY initiative will help the state further its greenhouse gas emissions goals by emphasizing the two most cost-effective solutions: conservation and energy efficiency," said Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp. "We commend Gov. Cuomo for approaching this challenge head on."

NYPA is working with state agencies to accelerate strategic, cost-effective energy investments in state buildings and to improve the ways in which those facilities are operated and maintained.

Among the major state government entities achieving notable percentage reductions in energy use under BuildSmart NY are:

•The Office of Mental Health (7.4 percent)

•The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (6.5 percent)

•The State University of New York (5.4 percent)

The wide-ranging improvements center on the retrofitting and replacement of existing building systems with more energy-efficient models. This includes new lighting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Renewable and other clean energy generation will also contribute to meeting BuildSmart NY's goals. Deployment of real-time energy monitoring tools and data analytics, as well as smarter building operations, are also key strategies.

New York state spends approximately $550 million a year on energy costs, including electricity and fuel, for more than 200 million square feet of real estate.

The BuildSmart NY progress report provides an overview of the initiatives and deliverables and analyzes the advances made by individual agencies.

 

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