New York Power Authority makes 'significant progress' on BuildSmart2025 to reduce energy consumption at state buildings

Plans in place to save more than 4 trillion BTUs of energy at state facilities

BuildSmart2025 video

The New York Power Authority has made “significant progress” during the first year of BuildSmart2025, a statewide energy efficiency program aimed at drastically reducing energy usage in state facilities, the company stated Monday. The energy saving program calls for a reduction in site energy use in state buildings by 11 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) by the end of 2025, the equivalent of removing nearly 500,000 cars off the road. As of the end of 2020, state entities have implemented or are actively developing energy projects with calculated energy savings of more than 4 trillion BTUs with the expectation they will reduce an additional 1 trillion BTUs by the end of 2021.

There are 68 state entities participating in the BuildSmart 2025 program, with an assigned cumulative goal of reducing energy use in state facilities by 11 trillion BTUs. The goal is equivalent to a 34% reduction in energy use from a baseline year of 2015. The program goal directly supports Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which calls for a reduction in energy use statewide by 185 trillion BTUs. Additionally, the program supports the work of the GreenNY Council, which helps state agencies implement the state’s lead-by-example directives.

More information on how agencies are reducing energy use, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing climate resiliency can be found in the most recent “Greening New York State” report.

NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones said, “Through the bold direction laid out in the governor’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the Power Authority is acting swiftly to drastically reduce energy use in state buildings. I have every confidence that BuildSmart2025 will build on the success of BuildSmartNY as we help our customers achieve their energy goals and lead the charge to advance a clean energy economy for New York state.”

BuildSmart2025 builds on the success of BuildSmartNY – which was launched in 2012 alongside the governor’s executive order 88 – and directed state agencies to reduce their source energy use intensity 20% by 2020. Including committed projects, the state exceeded that goal, recording a combined source energy use intensity reduction of 22.6%. NYPA financed more than $650 million in energy-efficiency projects at state buildings under BuildSmartNY and the Power Authority currently has plans to invest more than $850 million in energy-efficiency projects at state buildings over the next several years as part of BuildSmart2025.

NYPA provides a wide variety of energy technology and renewable energy services to its governmental customers under BuildSmart2025, including energy audits, project engineering, design, installation, and construction management. The energy-efficiency projects carried out by NYPA include high-efficiency lighting retrofits, occupancy and daylighting lighting sensors, building and energy management systems, boilers, chillers, air-handling systems, thermal storage, microgrids, solar photovoltaic systems, digester gas systems, and emerging energy technologies. NYPA provides financing with full cost recovery by its customers.

Some of NYPA’s state customers include the State University of New York, City University of New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Office of General Services, Office of Mental Health and Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Some major energy-efficiency projects already completed under the program include more than $23 million for a new chiller plant and cooling towers at Grand Central Terminal, nearly $24 million in comprehensive air-handling improvements at the State University of New York at Stony Brook Life and Science building, and nearly $18 million in boiler and chiller plant upgrades at W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus.

NYPA’s NY Energy Manager directly supports BuildSmart2025 by providing energy-use monitoring and suggestions to customers for improvements. Through the NYEM service, NYPA tracks hundreds of energy-efficiency projects implemented by state agencies and benchmarks their performance into the future.

Over the past 20 years, the NYPA board of trustees has approved nearly $4 billion in investments on energy-efficiency projects with state and local government customers around the state, supporting hundreds of energy-saving projects.

Visit NYPA on the web for more information on clean energy solutions.

Doreen Harris, acting president and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said, “Under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, state agencies are consistently challenging themselves to identify new opportunities and solutions for driving down energy use, increasing renewable energy production, and moving toward clean heating and cooling sources for their buildings. Combatting climate change requires immediate actions that deliver meaningful results and BuildSmart2025 will continue to be a valuable program in helping us meet our nation-leading clean energy and climate goals.”

Basil Seggos, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner, said, “Rising to meet the challenges caused by climate change will take an all-hands-on-deck approach and every tool at our disposal to reverse the trends of global warming and flatten the climate change curve. Through the BuildSmart2025 initiative, Gov. Cuomo’s administration is leading by example and building on New York’s national leadership on environmental and energy policies to transition the state to a cleaner greener future for all New Yorkers.”

OGS Commissioner RoAnn Destito said, "Gov. Cuomo has made it a priority for agencies to lead by example as we work collaboratively to meet the state’s ambitious climate and sustainability goals. OGS is proud of its leadership role on the GreenNY Council, and we look forward to achieving the governor’s BuildSmart2025 goals through the continued procurement of green products and technology and the advancement of energy-saving initiatives at our facilities.”