Month: October 2019

BARNEVELD, N.Y. — The Barneveld location of Upstate Cerebral Palsy is the “sole beneficiary” of a 1.4-megawatt solar project that is now finished and in operation.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Boston, Massachusetts–based Citizens Energy Corporation on Thursday announced the completion of the Oneida County project.

NYSERDA, through the NY-Sun program, provided nearly $300,000 in support of the solar array, which includes 3,600 panels, per a release. The solar installation will offset almost all of Upstate Cerebral Palsy’s annual electricity load, “providing an estimated savings to the organization of more than $30,000 annually,” NYSERDA said.

Located behind the organization’s Barneveld facility, the 1.4-megawatt array will produce more than 1.5 million kilowatt-hours annually, “the equivalent of taking 184 cars off the road or powering 245 homes annually.”

Citizens Energy owns and operates the solar array. It was developed to contribute to New York’s renewable-energy goals, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and support the company’s 40-year mission of “using successful energy ventures to generate revenues to make life’s basic needs, especially energy, more affordable for elderly and low-income households,” the release stated.

Former Congressman Joseph Kennedy II founded Citizens Energy in 1979 and he continues to serve as its chairman and president.

“The newly constructed 7-acre solar farm will provide discounted electricity to over 50 of our sites. The sites house or provide programs to thousands of people with developmental disabilities and the nearly 2000 staff that support them,” Geno DeCondo, executive director of Upstate Cerebral Palsy, said in the release. “With the help of our partners and consulting group, WMR Services LLC, we have been able to partner with Citizens Energy Corporation to achieve cost savings to support our critical programs, and at the same time harness renewable energy that reduces emissions and our carbon footprint.”

WMR Services has offices in New Hartford and Buffalo, per its website.

About Upstate Cerebral Palsy, NY-Sun

Upstate Cerebral Palsy is a provider of services to 15,000 individuals annually in Central New York, with more than 2,000 employees at over 60 locations.

Upstate Cerebral Palsy is a health and human-services organization that provides support and programs for individuals with special needs and their families, “across the lifespan.” The organization’s mission is to provide innovative programs and services that support people and create opportunities to fulfill life choices, one person at a time.

NY-Sun is Gov. Cuomo’s $1 billion initiative to “advance the scale-up” of solar and “move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient” solar industry. Since 2011, solar in New York has increased more than 1,700 percent and leveraged nearly $3.8 billion in private investments, NYSERDA said. These investments have supported nearly 12,000 people who work in solar jobs across the state.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Citizens Energy Corp. have announced the completion of a 1.4 MW solar project in New York’s Mohawk Valley. Local nonprofit Upstate Cerebral Palsy is the sole beneficiary of the commercial solar project, which is located in Oneida County. The facility supports Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Green New Deal goals to obtain 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, including the installation of 6 GW of solar by 2025.

“Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York has positioned itself as one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the nation and is helping all New Yorkers realize the benefits of clean, renewable energy projects, like this one serving Upstate Cerebral Palsy,” states Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA. “We are proud to partner with Citizens Energy and Upstate Cerebral Palsy on their environmental stewardship and commitment to reducing emissions in support of the state’s nation-leading climate and clean energy goals.”

NYSERDA, through the NY-Sun program, provided nearly $300,000 in support for the array, which comprises 3,600 panels. The project will offset almost all of Upstate Cerebral Palsy’s annual electricity load, providing an estimated savings to the organization of more than $30,000 annually. Located behind the organization’s Barneveld facility, the project will produce over 1.5 million kWh annually, the equivalent of powering 245 homes each year.

The project is owned and operated by Citizens Energy, which was founded in 1979 by former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, who continues to serve as its chairman and president. Michael Kennedy, director of business development at Citizens Energy, says, “Citizens Energy is committed to a renewable energy future that both protects the planet and includes the participation of all sectors of society, including those in need and those who serve them, like our partner, Upstate Cerebral Palsy. We have built solar arrays from California to the Carolinas, including the largest community solar project in the country. We’re proud to be soaking up some New York sun and helping a deserving organization save money with clean energy.”

Upstate Cerebral Palsy is a health and human services organization that provides a range of support and programs for individuals with special needs and their families. The nonprofit is a provider of comprehensive services to 15,000 individuals annually in central New York.

“Over the past seven decades, Upstate Cerebral Palsy has established itself as a leader in providing innovative services for people in need,” comments Geno DeCondo, executive director of the organization. “Upstate Cerebral Palsy is thrilled to partner with Citizens Energy and NYSERDA. The newly constructed 7-acre solar farm will provide discounted electricity to over 50 of our sites. The sites house or provide programs to thousands of people with developmental disabilities and the nearly 2,000 staff that support them. With the help of our partners and consulting group, WMR Services LLC, we have been able to partner with Citizens Energy Corp. to achieve cost-savings to support our critical programs and, at the same time, harness renewable energy that reduces emissions and our carbon footprint.”

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Citizens Energy Corporation announced the completion of a 1.4-MW solar project in the Mohawk Valley. Located in Oneida County, Upstate Cerebral Palsy is the sole beneficiary of the commercial solar project.

“Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York has positioned itself as one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the nation and is helping all New Yorkers realize the benefits of clean renewable energy projects like this one serving Upstate Cerebral Palsy,” said Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA. “We are proud to partner with Citizens Energy and Upstate Cerebral Palsy on their environmental stewardship and commitment to reducing emissions in support of the state’s nation-leading climate and clean energy goals.”

NYSERDA, through the NY-Sun program, provided nearly $300,000 in support for the array, which is comprised of 3,600 panels. The project will offset almost all of Upstate Cerebral Palsy’s annual electricity load, providing estimated savings to the organization of more than $30,000 annually. Located behind the organization’s Barneveld facility, the 1.4-MW array will produce over 1.5 million kWh of solar energy annually.

The solar array is owned and operated by Citizens Energy and was developed to contribute to New York State’s renewable energy goals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the company’s 40-year mission of using successful energy ventures to generate revenues to make life’s basic needs, especially energy, more affordable for elderly and low-income households. The company was founded in 1979 by former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, who continues to serve as its chairman and president.

Upstate Cerebral Palsy is a multi-faceted health and human services organization that provides a broad range of support and programs for individuals with special needs and their families. The organization’s mission is to provide innovative programs and services that support people and create opportunities to fulfill life choices, one person at a time. Upstate Cerebral Palsy provides comprehensive services to 15,000 individuals annually in Central New York, with over 2,000 employees at over 60 locations.