Gov. David A. Paterson, D-N.Y., has announced the creation of the New York Energy Policy Institute (NYEPI). The group will coordinate the work of New York's leading energy research centers, using established expertise in the field to provide a resource for the state's energy policy-makers. To facilitate this coordination, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has released a request for proposals to establish the policy institute.
‘New York already has some of the brightest minds in the world and extensive academic expertise in the clean energy economy,’ says Paterson. ‘For the first time, they will work together to provide analysis and strategies to inform state policy-makers, and the beneficiaries will be the everyday New Yorkers who will get cheaper and cleaner energy.’
Funding of up to $200,000 per year for up to three years has been allocated to this effort. Initially, NYEPI will concentrate on strategies that will introduce more energy efficiency and further reduce energy-derived pollution, while also providing for economic development and increased employment.
Electric power generation, transmission and heating fuel-use are expected to be core issues, and then, further efforts will work toward new and efficient transportation use within the state.
NYSERDA commissioned a preliminary study to catalog the state's academic resources. It found 18 top research centers with more than 170 faculty members whose knowledge of the state's resources and needs, along with research expertise, could provide a strategic framework for future policy on energy recovery, generation, regulation and use.
The preliminary report also recommended that NYEPI be based in an academic institution, include both private and public academic institutions, allow for addressing multiple issues as they emerge, strive for funding and support from multiple institutions, and maintain objectivity in its activities.
One of the research centers is Clarkson University Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, whose activities include research in wind, solar and other renewable energy.
SOURCE: New York Public Service Commission
