Energy Management

The primary goal of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board's Energy Management program is to promote the use of energy conservation measures and alternative energy development in Central New York. To help achieve this goal, the CNY RPDB received designation in 2007 by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to serve as the Energy $mart Communities Coordinator in Central New York. This designation provided the agency an opportunity to increase its commitment to helping individuals, businesses, and local units of government access a range of technical assistance services and financial resources which are available to support energy initiatives in their communities. As part of the Energy $mart Communities Program, staff organized or participated in more than fifty public education events in 2008, reaching over 2,000 local government officials, business owners, homeowners, renters, building professionals, and students.

To support local initiatives, staff is actively engaged in energy planning throughout the region, serving on several county energy advisory committees such as the Oswego County Green Team, the Onondaga County Energy and Sustainability Committee, and the Madison County Energy Advisory Committee, as well as, municipal and grassroots level efforts in the Towns of DeWitt and Marcy, the Village of Fabius, and the City of Rome. To assist with this planning effort, staff has established a comprehensive database with information about community energy plans which have been developed across the nation and the resources which are available to support their implementation.

In addition to serving as a regional information exchange and planning resource center, the CNY RPDB is actively engaged in the development of alternative energy projects throughout the region. Key initiatives currently under investigation include a community wind farm, biomass energy facilities, and a regional district cooling system. Attention is also being focused on the development of a major green energy project in conjunction with the expansion of a major health care institution in Central New York that will include energy conservation measures, a green data center, a roof-mounted solar power system, and a green roof.

View the presentation from the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board's 4/15/2009 meeting: Energy Planning and Development for Central New York 5,777 kb: 13 minutes, 41 seconds