FARMERS APPLAUD NEW ENERGY COST-SHARE PROGRAM
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
State program will fund 75 percent of farm equipment upgrades
ALBANY - Farmers today applauded the creation of the state Agriculture
Energy Efficiency Program, which will help farmers pay for upgrades to electrical and natural gas power equipment and provide specialized energy efficiency services to the State’s agricultural sector.
"Programs like this are what we need coming from Albany," said Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau. "This cost-sharing initiative will help our farmers modernize their facilities and equipment, improve farm sustainability and help us better compete with farms in other states and nations."
The program, approved by the Public Service Commission this month, will provide up to 75 percent of the cost to install qualified projects.
Examples of possible projects include variable speed milk pumps, more efficient fans and compact fluorescent lighting. More details on the program will be available soon.
The funding is part of the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS), which seeks to reduce the state's electrical use 15 percent by 2015. The state Public Service Commission approved the measure this month.
New York Farm Bureau had petitioned PSC to create a separate agricultural program since many of the existing cost-share energy programs didn't recognize agriculture.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority worked to put together the program with assistance from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets.
The annualized funding for the program includes $3 million per year for electric energy efficiency measures and $300,000 per year for natural gas efficiency measures.
The new initiative will be implemented by NYSERDA and should provide much greater access to energy efficiency services for the agricultural market sector.
New York farms spent over $32 million on electricity in 2007, according the New York State Agricultural Statistics Service.
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New York Farm Bureau is the statewide lobbying/trade organization that represents thousands of member families. Its members and the public know the organization as "The Voice of New York Agriculture." New York Farm Bureau is dedicated to solving the economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural community.
