US Representative Maurice Hinchey secures $10.5 million for research at Binghamton University

United States Representative Maurice Hinchey has secured $10.5 million from the house of Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to fund research at the Center for Autonomous Solar Power and the Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging Center at Binghamton University. The research conducted with the money will include circuitry miniaturization, software development, display systems and the development of constant solar power sources from flexible solar cells and super-capacitors.

The funding comes only a month after Representative Hinchey announced the securement of $9 million to fund energy-efficiency research for the US Defense Department.  The money will do a great deal for job creation at the University, bolstering both the local and state economies.

The funding still needs approval by the full House Appropriations Committee, the full House of Representatives and the Senate but Hinchey has expressed full confidence of approval.

For more information visit: http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100920/NEWS01/9200373/1116/news/Hinchey+announces++10.5+million+in+research+funds+for+BU.

Two new landmarks for Geneva, New York

The Geneva, New York company Zotos International Inc. which specializes in the production of hair-care/personal-styling products broke ground yesterday on what they claim to be the largest on-site wind energy project by any manufacturer in the United States. The project will include the installation of two 1,650 Kilowatt turbines that will tower 350 feet above the city of Geneva.  The Turbines are expected to provide Zotos International's Geneva plant with 70% of their total energy demand. 5% of energy production will be donated to Geneva and is expected to be enough to power the city's streetlights.

Zotos International Inc. is owned by the large Japanese cosmetic company Shiseido Americas Corp. After receiving $2.1 Million in federal stimulus money the company paid $4.9 Million for the project, an investment they expect to see a return on in less than 5 years. The company is currently looking for other clean energy options such as solar and geothermal to become 100% carbon neutral by 2011.

For more information on the project see The Post-Standard article at http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/geneva_plant_breaks_ground_on.html or read about the companies environmental commitment at http://www.zotos.com/our-eco-commitment.

$20 million allocated to Great Lakes restoration projects in New York State

As the nation's largest source of fresh surface water, the health of the Great Lakes has become a priority for the Obama administration. President Obama has created the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative which provides $475 million in funding to combat invasive species, non-point source pollution and contaminated sediment.

The initiative has recently allocated $20 million to projects within New York State.  Seventeen organizations ranging from colleges/universities, non-profits, state/local agencies and tribes will receive the federal funding.

Three such recipients are:

• The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has received $315,225 for their "Be Green in the Great Lakes" project. The project will educate homeowners and land care providers about organic practices to reduce water use and avoid environmentally degrading synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. 
• The Buffalo Niagra Riverkeeper has been awarded $657,245 to design, implement and monitor a restoration project along the Buffalo River. The project will take place at the Riverbend site and is set to include river bank enhancement and floodplain habitat restoration.
• The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has been awarded a total of $1,952,522 to undertake two projects. The first will focus on restrictions on fish/wildlife consumption and population/habitat degradation along the St. Lawrence River in Massena, NY. The second project will focus on the restoration of Lake Sturgeon along the same section of the St. Lawrence. 

For more information on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and a full list of New York Projects visit http://greatlakesrestoration.us/?p=1787.

Report finds New York is # 6 among top ten states for energy efficiency

In the report released today, the Center for American Progress and Energy Resource Management looked at state regulations and incentives for energy efficiency that are working today in leading states to accelerate demand for energy efficiency services, businesses, and ultimately jobs.  "As this market rapidly grows in coming years, states that have put in place strong policies for energy efficiency will be best positioned to capture these new employment opportunities for construction workers in clean energy," according to CAP.

New York State scored highly -- #6 among the top ten states, in the findings.

"Choices in policy can have a tremendous impact on setting the market conditions that entice private sector investment and put skilled construction workers back on the job. This paper identifies ten policies that are effectively used in states and can have an especially large impact in shaping the market for energy efficiency. Using a state-by-state analysis of existing policies (including both regulations and investment incentives), as well as market conditions (including energy prices and building stock), the Center for American Progress and Energy Resource Management identified the leading states where smart policies are poised to set the stage for clean energy jobs and the homegrown businesses that will serve this new demand."

Bottom line finding:  "The key driver of these markets for efficiency is the presence of policies and market prices that allow businesses to profitably recover the cost of their investments in productive, innovative, and cost-effective energy efficiency measures."

Read more from the Center for American Progress at: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/08/good_jobs_new_markets.html