New York avails $3m to help municipal utilities build climate resilience

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that $3 million was being made available through its Climate Resilience Initiative to help municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives.

The money will be used to fund demonstration projects focused on decarbonization and resilient energy services, said NYSERDA in a press release.

Projects can be submitted in three different categories (see below) as outlined in NYSERDA’s request for proposals (RFP). The deadline for submitting a project proposal is April 18. 

Demonstrations of Net Zero / Deep Decarbonization Solutions (max value $500K)

This category is for proposals demonstrating technologies that can be replicated and scaled to achieve what NYSERDA said would represent significant reductions in carbon emissions in buildings or transportation sectors supporting the state’s goals of carbon neutrality.

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Climate Impact Vulnerability Assessments and Resilience Planning (max award $100K)

Awards in this category would be offered for technical assistance regarding assessments, analysis, and planning that focuses on: 

• Vulnerability assessments and analyses of the electric grid that consider weaknesses in the generation, transmission, or distribution of power to users – including grid failure and evaluation of who it may impact. Additional consideration will be given for specific benefits to disadvantaged communities and critical services (hospitals, nursing homes, and so on); and
• Developing plans that reduce the risk of shock or stress events (temperature extremes, storm surges, or flooding), or reduce the impacts of such events on people, infrastructure, and services in the municipality or service area. 
• These plans are required to coordinate across key institutions and communities — including those responsible for emergency preparedness and response, critical load and demand management, community health, safety, and social services. Plans will also be mandated to identify priorities for resilience action and investment.

Renewables and Innovation Analytics / Pre-Feasibility / Feasibility Studies (max award $200K)

These awards would be for technology demonstrations or other analysis or study for adopting an innovative climate technology within a municipal utility / rural cooperative service area, with a focus on projects that:

• Conduct analysis, pre-feasibility, or feasibility studies in preparation for developing a renewable and/or innovative climate technology project; 
• Demonstrate an innovative technology or process supporting New York’s renewables, decarbonization, and environmental justice goals in support of the Climate Act; and   
• Have a high potential for replication – which will drive future investment in resilient and decarbonized communities, as well as significant opportunities for greenhouse gas reduction.

Additionally, to help ensure an equitable clean energy transition, the RFP considers benefits to disadvantaged communities as one of the scoring criteria, since these communities are more likely to rely on outdated infrastructure and have increased risks of shock or stress events in their neighborhoods.
 
Program funding is provided through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in alignment with NYSERDA’s Climate Resilience Initiative. 

Originally published by Jennifer Runyon on power-grid.com