Syracuse will compete against five other cities for funding that would help cut the city’s energy costs.

The New York Power Authority announced on Feb. 17 that Syracuse would be one of five cities participating in the Five Cities Energy Plans program, a multi-million dollar project that will attempt to make upstate New York a greener and more environmentally sustainable place. It will compete against Albany, Rochester, Buffalo and Yonkers.

“The objective is to find ways for each city to cut their emissions, to use clean energy technologies and reduce their energy costs,” said Steve Gosset, media relations manager of NYPA.

The Five Cities program is a five-year, $35 million plan in addition to a competition in which cities compete for a $20 million grant. Representatives from each city will pitch ideas that they think apply specifically to their city or that were not included in the original program for the chance for that idea to be put into action.

“Instead of simply writing a check and hoping for the best, we will be looking at proposals where people are coming up with ideas that we had never thought of or applies to a specific city,” Gosset said.

After the program is installed, the five cities combined are expected to save up to $400 million a year and dramatically improve their environments, which for some is more important than saving money.

“By engaging in smart, sustainable use of energy, technology and natural resources, New York will be far better prepared for the environmental and economic challenges of the next decade,” said Gil Quiniones, president and chief executive of NYPA.

Syracuse has already started the beginning phase of the program and has established specific goals for the next five years. The city has established a sustainability committee in its local government and has been working with the Centro Bus system to expand or maintain bus lines in order to foster ride sharing.

This plan comes at a time when global warming is becoming a national issue with this year’s record droughts and snows plaguing both sides of the country.

“You don’t have to look very far to see the climate is changing, whether it’s colder or warmer,” said Barry Carr, the manager of business development for Clean Communities of Central New York.

In addition, this plan is relatively inexpensive in comparison to the cost of dealing with global warming down the road. Proactive measures such as this program limit possible climate effects in the future, according to the Clean Communities of CNY website.

“We are putting too much carbon dioxide in the air. The investment in clean energy is really good for the economy,” Carr said. “Here in central New York we have so much room to grow and develop sustainability; it’s silly we are wasting our chance.”

Some of the challenges the program is facing include applying the program nationally and generating interest to push the plan forward. Coordinators of the plan, such as Gosset, are hoping to find a way to apply these same ideas to the rest of the country, in addition to paying attention to what works in one city but not another.

“We will create the momentum that will only keep moving the cities forward in making their air healthier and their environment, creating a whole new mindset,” Gosset said.

The New York Power Authority hopes that this program will encourage other states to adopt similar plans and work to clean up their cities.

“These plans should inspire cities throughout the state and across the country to find new ways to manage their own energy use and for their communities,” Quiniones said.

Published on February 25, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Hanna: hrhorvat@syr.edu