NYPA-CUNY Lighting Upgrades at York College

New York Power Authority Installs Energy Efficient LED Lighting and Controls at York College of the City University of New York in Time for Earth Week $5.5 Million Project Reduces School’s Energy Costs and Carbon Emissions

WHITE PLAINS—The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the City University of New York (CUNY) today, in celebration of Earth Week, announced the completed installation of energy-efficient LED lighting and controls at York College in Jamaica, Queens. The $5.5 million project included the replacement of lighting fixtures in its Academic Core building, reducing annual operating and maintenance costs by more than $120,000 and carbon emissions by more than 1,000 metric tons—the equivalent of removing more than 240 gas-powered vehicles from the road.

“In its role as New York’s trusted energy advisor, NYPA is committed to helping its government customers curb carbon emissions at their facilities,” said New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “The installation of state-of-the-art LEDs at CUNY’s York College will save the school more than $120,000 annually and advances New York’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at state-run facilities.”

“CUNY is proud of its footprint in New York City and understands the impact our facilities have on climate and sustainability,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We are grateful to the New York Power Authority for partnering with York College to upgrade to energy efficient lighting that will reduce carbon emissions, making the campus brighter and greener.”

“We appreciate the partnership with the New York Power Authority; our continuing students, faculty, and staff have noticed the difference in the brightness of many of the targeted areas,” said York College Interim President Dr. Claudia Schrader. “The lighting project will boost York’s sustainability, increase safety and save the College money.”

NYPA replaced nearly 3,000 LED fixtures in the library, stairways, hallways, atrium and dining area within the Academic Core building. The new lighting system features wireless controls and daylight sensors, allowing for automatic dimming options.

York College was founded in 1966 and is located on a 50-acre campus in Jamaica, Queens. The 188,400 square-foot York College Academic Core opened in 1986 and is also used for classrooms, labs and administrative offices.

The energy efficiency upgrades at York College are among the latest capital projects aimed at reducing CUNY’s carbon footprint. In the past five years, NYPA has implemented 10 projects for CUNY, reducing annual costs by $1 million and carbon emissions by 2,000 metric tons.

The lighting improvements also directly support BuildSmart 2025, a statewide energy efficiency program administered by NYPA, aimed at reducing energy usage in state facilities by 11 trillion British Thermal Units (BTU) by the end of 2025—the equivalent of removing nearly 500,000 cars from the road.

NYPA provides a wide variety of energy technology and renewable energy services to its governmental customers under BuildSmart 2025, including energy audits, project engineering, design, installation, and construction management. The energy efficiency projects carried out by NYPA include high efficiency lighting retrofits, occupancy and daylighting lighting sensors, building and energy management systems, boilers, chillers, air-handling systems, thermal storage, microgrids, solar photovoltaic systems, digester gas systems, and emerging energy technologies.

State entities have implemented or are actively developing nearly 1,300 energy projects with calculated energy savings of more than 8.1 trillion BTUs.

BuildSmart 2025 is part of the state’s overall goal to reduce on-site energy consumption in buildings throughout New York State by 185 trillion BTUs by 2025.

Buildings are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New York State and integrating energy efficiency and electrification measures in new and existing buildings will reduce carbon pollution and help achieve more sustainable, healthy, and comfortable buildings in support of the state's ambitious goal to achieve 2 million climate-friendly homes by 2030. Through New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Power Authority and utility programs, more than $6.8 billion is being invested to decarbonize buildings to achieve the state's decarbonization goals. By improving energy efficiency in buildings and including onsite storage, renewables, and electric vehicle charging equipment, the State will reduce carbon pollution and advance the target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion Btus by 2025, the equivalent of powering 1.8 million homes.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.

About NYPA 

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

About CUNY

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving more than 225,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit https://www.cuny.edu.