BPU Receives $750,000 Clean Energy Grant
The “Manufacturing Clean Energy in the Southern Tier” proposal has led to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities receiving a $750,000 state grant.
On Monday, the BPU approved a resolution accepting the grant during its regular monthly board meeting. A news release states the BPU-led program is designed to facilitate innovation focusing on climate technology company formation, enhance regional workforce development, create jobs in the growing sector and strengthen connections among manufacturers across the western Southern Tier counties of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided the grant as part of its “Accelerate the Southern Tier” program opportunity, which seeks to boost the formation and growth of early-stage innovation in the Southern Tier to help New York state advance its climate and clean energy goals, and continues development of the region to help foster growth of climate technology businesses.
“We are very pleased that New York state leadership recognizes that significant investment in climate technology manufacturing will benefit existing Jamestown-area companies as well as to help attract new companies to the region,” said David Leathers, BPU general manager. “This BPU-led program supports our western New York legacy as a manufacturing powerhouse in the State and speaks to our potential as a climate technology manufacturing resource for decades to come.”
The Manufacturing Clean Energy in the Southern Tier project will encompass four initiatives: Climate technology studies designed to evaluate the regional and individual manufacturer’s potential to enter the climate technology manufacturing market in the western Southern Tier; climate technology workforce development, which will augment training and educational programming at Jamestown Community College; climate technology manufacturing conference and tradeshow held in Jamestown and designed to attract manufacturing interests from across the country; and climate technology marketing campaign promoting the western Southern Tier’s status as a climate technology manufacturing hub for the expanding domestic supply chain.
“Climate technology businesses provide a bright future for innovative manufacturers and, in the Western Southern Tier, we’re poised to capitalize on that future,” said Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist. “The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities stands as one of the most important economic development assets in our region.”
“With our partners, this award will help us identify our shared potential to augment climate technology manufacturing, promote the region as a climate technology ‘hub’ and contribute locally to a 21st Century workforce.”
In connection with the grant award, the BPU also approved a resolution to hire Insyte Consulting as the city-owned utility company’s partner for the grant. Insyte Consulting will conduct the regional clean energy manufacturing study as well as the future individual manufacturer studies based on the findings and as described in the proposal.
Supporters of the proposal include the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce; Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency; Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth; Chautauqua County Visitors’ Bureau; Chautauqua County Education Coalition; Chautauqua Region Community Foundation; city of Jamestown Department of Development; Gebbie Foundation; JCC; Jamestown Renaissance Corp.; Manufacturer’s Association of the Southern Tier; and Small Business Development Center.
In other business, the BPU approved its 2021 Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs for electric customers with no changes in the new year.
The Energy Star rebate program includes rebates for the purchase and installation of certain, new products as follows: $35 for residential windows; $25 for skylights; $50 for residential entry doors; $500 for water pump heaters; $500 per ton of capacity for HVAC heat pumps; $100 per ton of cooling capacity for central air conditioning units; and $1,000 per ton of capacity for geothermal heat pumps.
The rebates will be available for the purchase of new products made between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021. All products must be Energy Star-certified to qualify for rebates. More information concerning minimum qualification standards are available at energystar.gov/products.
The BPU’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Equipment Rebate Program continues into 2021, with rebates for businesses who install EV chargers for the benefit of their customers, employees or the general public.
Businesses interested in this rebate program should first consult a certified electrical contractor to verify that their electric service has the capacity to support such a charger. Once capacity is confirmed, the customer should contact Dan Reynolds, BPU Energy Efficiency Coordinator, to schedule a site visit and to complete the rebate pre-approval application.
For more information about either the 2020 or 2021 energy efficiency programs, contact Reynolds at 661-1646 or by email at dreynolds@jamestownbpu.com.