Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced $150 million in climate resiliency grants to make New York State’s public college campuses greener, more resilient to severe weather and more energy efficient. Supported by funding from the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, the State University of New York (SUNY) is receiving $100 million for clean energy projects, including the installation of a thermal energy network at SUNY Buffalo, and the City University of New York (CUNY) is receiving $50 million for solar, energy storage, and heat pump projects on three campuses as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce CUNY’s carbon footprint.
“New York’s higher education institutions play a significant role in leading by example to help advance a cleaner, greener future,” Governor Hochul said. “The $150 million in new investments from the Environmental Bond Act will allow SUNY and CUNY to take a significant step forward in electrifying campuses and integrating cleaner energy solutions to reduce pollution and help New York’s colleges become more energy efficient.”
SUNY projects funded by the Environmental Bond Act include:
Binghamton University: Binghamton University will install thermal energy networks and building heat pump technology on its campus. The funding will help implement the construction of new high-efficiency networked water source heat pump systems in select buildings currently operating on approximately 20-year-old, lower-efficiency chillers. The new systems will effectively lower energy use by 45 percent, operating costs by $300,000, greenhouse gases by 1,100 metric tons (based on current grid emission factors), and other pollutants for the benefit of the campus and the larger community.
University at Buffalo: UB will construct the first of many energy hubs, all of which are needed to phase out fossil fuel-based systems and replace aging, lower efficiency systems with on-site electrical systems that lower greenhouse gas and other pollutants and improve operating efficiencies. This first high-efficiency energy hub will service a network of up to five buildings on UB’s South Campus.
SUNY Oswego: The campus will construct a geo-exchange field system for a geothermal network to improve operating efficiencies, lower operating costs, and reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutants for the benefit of the campus and the larger community. The project will result in extensive underground utility infrastructure and central plant and building-level equipment conversions, which are required to continue converting the campus plant to sustainable measures.
Stony Brook University: The Environmental Bond Act investment will provide design and construction for multiple ground and rooftop solar voltaic (PV) arrays to improve community air quality and public health and decarbonize the Long Island electric grid. The resulting on-site renewable power generation will provide operational efficiencies, energy use reduction, greenhouse gas and pollutant reductions, as well as provide additional capacity for any potential future campus growth.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here
