City of Utica is Pursuing Department of Energy and NYSERDA Grant Funded Projects for Energy Efficiency

 The City of Utica (Utica) has received a DOE Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) of $125,390 from the federal government that can be used on a variety of energy efficiency and clean energy projects. They also received a $10,000 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities Grant that is being used to install EV charging stations at Valley View. In addition, Utica has received a $15,000 NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities Grant that is being used for LED lighting at Park Edge and electric landscaping equipment.

Utica was able to take advantage of many incentives for the projects including National Grid incentives, NYSERDA incentives, and grant funding. They also were able to receive no cost technical assistance from the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc. (MVEDD).

“Here at MVEDD, we have a clean energy team that helps municipalities navigate the various state and federal programs to reduce energy usage, become more resilient to climate change, and pursue grant funding. Working with the City of Utica to plan out a strategic way to leverage funding to accomplish all these great projects has been very rewarding. Having over $500,000 in clean energy projects being completed without the use of any municipal funds is such a great win for the City.” says Amanda Whalen, MVEDD Clean Energy Communities coordinator.

About the Projects:

LED Lighting - Utica is replacing interior lighting with LEDs at 6 municipal buildings including City Hall and the Police Station, the total project cost is $217,965.23 with National Grid incentives of $108,055.97 for a project cost of $109,908.94 that will be covered by the DOE EECBG. This project will save the city over $26,000 annually in electric costs – at no cost to taxpayers.

Weatherization - Utica will be completing several weatherization projects that that are also incentivized by National Grid, they will be paid for through DOE EECBG and NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities grants. Through NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities the City of Utica was able to receive a no cost CEC energy study on the Recreation Center to inform what projects are completed at the building.

EV Chargers - The City will also be installing new EV Charging Stations at Valley View and City Hall to provide charging to residents and visitors. These stations are funded through National Grid’s Make Ready Program to cover most of the infrastructure cost. The Valley View chargers are completely funded through the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities Grant and the City Hall chargers are also incentivized through the NYSERDA Charge Ready 2.0 Program with the balance paid for by the Utica Industrial Development Agency. The DOE EECBG funding covers the additional cost of the system. The charging stations will provide electric vehicle charging to residents and visitors in the City of Utica.

First announced in 2016, the Clean Energy Communities initiative supports local government leaders across the State to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects in their communities. Clean Energy Communities advances the NYS Climate and Community Protect Act by demonstrating the importance of communities in helping New York reach its Clean Energy Standard of 50 percent of the state’s electricity coming from renewable energy resources by 2030.

Throughout the City’s participation in the program, Utica has also been designated a 2 Star Clean Energy Community by NYSERDA, recognizing its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy locally. Utica received the designation for completing 3,100 points for high impact actions identified by NYSERDA as part of the Clean Energy Communities initiative. In addition, the actions completed gives Utica the opportunity to apply for up to $125,000 toward additional clean energy projects, with no local cost share.

“Participating in the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities program has opened doors for the City to reduce energy usage and apply for funding for projects that reduce the Utica’s greenhouse gas emissions. This program has been instrumental in various city-wide projects, and the City would like to thank NYSERDA and MVEDD for assistance in navigating these initiatives and achieving grant funding,” says Jack Spaeth, Executive Director of the Utica Industrial Development Agency. “Utica looks forward to pursuing additional actions to make the City more energy efficient, benefitting our City residents and the planet,” he continued.

To earn the Clean Energy Community 2 Star Designation, and to qualify for the awarded NYSERDA grants, Utica completed the following high-impact clean energy actions:

• Advanced Benchmarking of Municipal Buildings
• Completion of Clean Heating & Cooling Campaign
• Energy Code Enforcement Training
• LED Streetlight Conversion
• Electric Vehicles
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
• Passing Unified Solar Permit
• Electric Landscaping Equipment
  
  

Cities, counties, towns and villages that complete a required number of points towards high-impact clean energy actions are designated Clean Energy Communities and are eligible to apply for funding with no local cost share. NYSERDA is accepting applications for funding on a rolling basis through December 31, 2025 or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.  Funds are being provided through the Clean Energy Fund and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

For more information on Clean Energy Communities, visit nyserda.ny.gov/cec. Local government officials or employees can find contact information for their respective coordinator here for assistance navigating the program. For help in the Mohawk Valley, visit MVEDD’s website at mvedd.org.