The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced $15 million is now available for clean, resilient economic development projects.
The funding is part of Round XV of Governor Kathy Hochul’s Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative. The funding will help make it more affordable to adopt carbon reduction strategies in regionally significant commercial projects across the state.
“Investing in carbon-neutral design and construction not only creates healthier communities but also brings jobs to New York state,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris in a statement. “With the expansion of the Building Cleaner Communities Competition to now include funding for community and campus-scale projects, I look forward to building new partnerships that can drive innovative building solutions and help lead the way toward a sustainable, resilient future.”
The Building Cleaner Communities Competition (BCCC), administered in partnership with Empire State Development (ESD) and the New York Department of State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, provides funding for carbon neutral design and construction projects in new construction and existing buildings to support regional economic development goals.
This round of the competition reintroduces funding for community- and campus-scale projects in addition to commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal and mixed-use building projects across New York state.
Applicants may apply for incentives toward new construction or existing building renovation projects that are designed to achieve carbon neutral or net zero energy performance and demonstrate how the approach is replicable and cost effective. They are encouraged to incorporate resiliency strategies that minimize environmental impact and ensure long-term performance, such as creating areas of refuge within the building, connecting to thermal energy networks to ensure diversity of energy resources, and incorporating backup power. A special focus will be given to project proposals that adopt solutions to reduce energy usage during peak times and lower the use of global warming potential refrigerants.