YONKERS RECEIVES NATIONAL INNOVATION AWARD FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

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City Recognized For Solar & Wind Powered Lighting Project at JFK Marina

 

YONKERS, NY – April 22, 2019 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced that Smart Energy Decisions honored the City of Yonkers at its 2nd annual Innovation Awards in the category of “Government Onsite Renewable Energy.”  The installation of wind and solar technology at JFK Marina makes it one of the first parks in the region to be completely independent from the power grid through its use of renewable energy, according to the New York Power Authority.

The objective of Smart Energy Decisions’ Innovation Awards program is to recognize the efforts of large electric power users, their suppliers, and their utilities in support of the energy transformation currently taking place. Winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges, who rated each nomination based on objectives of the project, how the project was executed, innovation, and results of the project against the objective.

“It is an honor to receive this award from Smart Energy Decisions and be recognized nationally with so many other large corporations and institutions,” said Mayor Mike Spano.  “This Innovation Award is a testament to the hard work of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and departments of Public Works, Parks and Engineering.  I would especially like to thank New York Power Authority for all of their support and funding because this project would not have been possible without the 5 Cities Energy Program.”

The off-grid lighting project, completed in November 2017, was primarily funded by NYPA (New York Power Authority) through the 5 Cities Energy Program which also supported the purchase of nine electric-vehicle charging stations in three public parking garages and five hybrid electric vehicles that joined the municipal fleet.

“This innovative, renewable energy powered lighting project is the ideal embodiment of Earth Day and it underscores the impactful clean energy initiatives being carried out in New York State under Governor Cuomo,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “The project utilizes wind and solar power to ensure John F. Kennedy Marina in Yonkers is always well lit, improving safety, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving taxpayer dollars. The recognition from Smart Energy Decisions on this project is well deserved and we at NYPA look forward to building on our successful partnership with the City of Yonkers in the future.”

The JFK Marina Park Off-Grid Lighting project builds on the City’s previous replacement of 11,300 streetlights with energy-efficient LED lights. In addition to annual energy cost savings, tens of thousands of dollars in installation and maintenance costs have been achieved through avoided electrical infrastructure work associated with traditional lighting projects and through avoided repairs due to flooding. What started as a pilot program with one Off-Grid LED unit has grown into a fully self-sufficient, resilient and safe park for visitors and the surrounding community to enjoy – achieving its primary objective.

Added Mayor Spano: “This innovative wind and solar lighting project took a proactive approach to addressing and preventing costly lighting problems at JFK Marina resulting from storm flooding. The project has improved the park’s resiliency in the face of more frequent flooding events, eliminated energy costs for operation and has contributed to the City’s continued efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.”

JFK Marina is one of the largest and most popular waterfront parks in Westchester County and is particularly susceptible to storm flooding due to its location on the Hudson River.

Smart Energy Decisions is the first web-based information resource dedicated exclusively to addressing the information needs of commercial and industrial electric power customers.