New York State Wastewater I n i t ia t ives | 1

Known as the Green Project Reserve (GPR), at least 20% of each State’s total ARRA capitalization grant was required to fund a wide variety of qualifying projects in the categories of green infrastructure, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and other innovative projects.

Increasing Energy Efficiency through ARRA Funding:

New York State Wastewater Initiatives

Gre

en

res

erve The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Green Project Reserve of 2009, through the Clean Water State

Revolving Fund, provided funding for a wide variety of qualifying projects in the categories of: green infrastructure, energy

efficiency, water efficiency, and other innovative projects. For more information on projects that have been funded by the

Green Project Reserve and for additional details, visit www.epa.gov/ow/eparecovery.

Since the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009, New York State (New York) has had great success in funding innovative, energy-efficient projects as part of the ARRA Green Project Reserve due to two major factors:

• Anexistingcollaborationwiththe New York State Energy Research andDevelopmentAuthority(NYSERDA) to achieve greater energy savings in the wastewater sector; and

• ThecreationoftheGreenInnovation Grant Program.

ThiscasestudyhighlightsNewYork’smanyenergy-efficient, ARRA-funded activities and achievementsatwastewaterfacilitiesthroughout the state.

New York State’s ARRA-funded

wastewater projects will save over 30.2 million kWh/year.

New York StateEnvironmental Facilities Corporation

ThroughtheCleanWaterStateRevolvingFund(CWSRF),NewYorkfinancedcriticalupgradesto wastewater and stormwater infrastructure withthegoalofprotectingandenhancingwaterqualityacrossthestate.Theenergyconservationmeasuresfinancedwillimproveoperations at wastewater treatment systems andotherfacilities,whileachievingotherbenefits,including:

• Maximizingenergyusethrough conservation and efficiency; • Usingorproducingrenewableenergy; • Mitigatinggreenhousegasimpacts;and • Inmanycases,savingonenergycosts.

Energy-saving measures used in many ARRA-financedprojectsinclude:

• Improvedaerationprocesses • Solarpowergeneration • Reedbedsludgetreatment • Gravitybeltsludgethickeners • Premiumefficiencymotorsandvariable frequency drives • Lowpressure/highoutputlamp technologyforultravioletdisinfection • Efficientinsulationandlightingthat exceedsbuildingcodes • Combinedheatandpower,including alternativefueluseandanaerobic digestion

Case Study www.epa.gov/ow/eparecovery

CWSRF Funding oF

EnERgy EFFiCiEnCy & innovation

New York State Wastewater I n i t ia t ives | 2

NewYork’sARRAallotmentfortheCWSRFwas$432million—$86.4millionofwhichwasreservedtomeetits20%federalgoalforGPR.Instead,over$157million,or36%,ofNewYork’sARRAfundsqualifiedasGPR,with$108millionrelatedtoenergyefficiencyprojects.

NewYorkfunded80wastewaterprojectsunderARRA—46ofwhichwereprincipallyenergyefficiencyprojects.Inaddition,therewere

severalenvironmentallyinnovativeprojectswhichincludedenergy-relatedcomponents.Theseprojectswillsaveorgenerateover30.2millionkilowatthoursperyear(kWh/yr)whencomparedtobaselinepractices.

nEW yoRk’S EnERgy-

EFFiCiEnt WaStEWatER

PRojECtS

EnERgy EFFiCiEnCy

MEaSuRES & SavingS FoR

SElECtEd PRojECtS

Subprogram applicant Energy Efficiency Measuresannual kWh avoided, Saved, or generated

Per year*

green Power generated

Water Energy Partnership

(WEP)

WestchesterCountyforMamaroneckWWTP

Dissolvedoxygencontrols,variable-speeddrivepumps(VFDs),andimprovedactivated

sludgeprocess3,993,173kWh n/a

VillageofGreenportInnovative,energy-efficienttechnologytoaddressnitrogenlimitandhighefficiencyUVdisinfection

technologytoaddresschlorinelimits1,467,963kWh n/a

HudsonEnergy-efficient upgrades to premium pumps

andVFDs,aeration,sludgeprocessing,andbuildinglighting

636,557kWh n/a

Green Innovation

Grant Program

CayugaCountySoilandWaterConservation

District

Anaerobicdigesterwillprocesslocalmanureandagriculturalandfoodwaste,biogas/methane

generation,andacombinedheatandpower(CHP)plant

5,475,000kWh Biogas/CHP

Johnstown–GloversvilleJointWastewaterTreatmentDistrict

CHPprojecttreatingsewagesludgeandhigh-strengthindustrialfoodprocessingwastewaterinananaerobicdigestertogeneratebiogas/

methane,andutilizewasteheat

3,400,000kWh Biogas/CHP

AlbanyCountySewerDistrict

CHPsystemtocapturefluegaswasteheatandproduceelectricityfromtheexisting

sludgeincinerator3,300,000kWh CHP

Medina BiogaspoweredCHP,effluentpoweredheatpumps,solarunits,andenergy-efficientlighting 350,000kWh SolarPower**

* Solar and CHP enhancements contributed to power generation** 20% of electrical needs

ThecollaborationbetweenNYSERDAandtheNewYorkStateEnvironmentalFacilitiesCorporation(EFC)enabledNewYorktoapply$92millionofthetotal$157millionallotmenttowardGPRinenergy-efficientprojectsthatwillresultinanestimatedannualenergysavingsof16.1millionkWh.

EFCadministerstheCWSRFinconjunctionwith the New York State Department of EnvironmentalConservation(DEC).NYSERDAhousesavarietyofenergy-relatedprogramsincludingtheFlexTechandSmartFocusprograms,whichfacilitateenergyevaluationsandimprovementsbyqualifiedenergyengineeringfirmsthathaveexperiencein the wastewater sector.

Since2007,EFCandNYSERDAhavebeenworking together to identify ways to promote energyefficiencythroughoutthestate’swastewaterinfrastructure.In2009,EFCandNYSERDAestablishedtheWastewaterEfficiencyProgram(WEP),whichisjointlyadministered.Thisprogramprovidesdedicatedfundingforenergyanalysisandfocusedcoordinationbetweentheagenciesforwastewatertreatmentfacilities.Theagenciesworkedtogethertoidentifythebestuseofstateandfederalfunds toefficientlyachievemultiplegoals.

Earlyin2009,EFCreviewedprojectspreviouslylistedontheannualIntendedUsePlan(IUP)for“shovel-readiness”underARRA.EFCandNYSERDAidentifiedwhichprojectscouldbenefitfromanenergyevaluation,then

identifiedandcontacted25communitiestoassesstheirdesiretoparticipateintheFlexTechProgram.With$720,000infundsfromNewYork’sproceedsfromtheRegionalGreenhouseGasInitiative(RGGI),NYSERDAcoordinatedenergyanalysesthatwereconductedatnocosttothemunicipalities.

Foreachproject,NYSERDA’sFlexTechandSmartFocuscontractorsanalyzedpotentialenergyefficiencyimprovementsateachfacilityanddevelopedFlexTechreportsandEnergyEfficiencySummaryMemorandumswhichwereprovidedtoEPAforapprovalasthebusinesscaseforGPReligibility.EFCadministeredtheCWSRFARRAfundingfortheprojects.

Asaresultofthiscollaboration,NYSERDAestablishedtheBaselineStandardPractices,atoolforestablishinggreaterenergyefficiencyatwastewaterfacilities.Priorto2009,energybaselineswerenotavailableforspecifictreatmentprocesses,makingitdifficultforcommunitiestochoosepotentialenergy-conservingmeasuresthatwouldmeetwastewatertreatmentgoals.ThenewBaselineStandard Practices provide a comparison of technologyorequipmentnecessarytoachievespecificwastewatertreatmentperformancecriteriabaseduponcost.

Moreinformationoneachproject’sEnergyEfficiencySummaryMemocanbefoundathttp://www.nysefc.org.

Case Study www.epa.gov/ow/eparecovery

CollaboRation With nySERda

New York State Wastewater I n i t ia t ives | 3

1 http://www.nyserda.org/programs/flextech.asp 2 http://www.nyserda.org/funding/1263rfp.asp 3 Typically, FlexTech works as a 50% cost-sharing program between NYSERDA and the municipality.

InadditiontoservingtraditionalprojectsalreadyontheIUP,EFCwantedtosparkinitiative to promote more green and innovativeprojectsinNewYork.Approximately10%ofNewYork’sCWSRFARRAfundsweresetasideforanewgrantprogram,calledtheGreenInnovationGrantProgramorGIGP.Creatingthisnewprogramallowedshovel-ready,green,CWSRFandGPReligibleprojectsthatwerenotinitiallylistedontheIUPtoaccessARRAfunds.

CreationoftheGIGPprovidedanunprecedented opportunity to assist projects tosimultaneouslyprotectwaterquality,conserve energy resources, and reduce greenhousegasimpact.TheprogramwasdevelopedandimplementedwithintheARRAtime frames. NYSERDA staff assisted with the reviewofenergy-relatedGIGPapplications.AswithallGPRprojects,EPAbusinesscasedocumentationwasrequired,andexistingengineeringreportsanddesignspecificationswereusedasthebasisforEPAapproval.

TheresponsetotheGIGPsolicitationwasoverwhelming,with161applicationsreceived,totaling$282millioninrequestsforCWSRF/ARRAfunds.Ultimately,$38millioningrantswereprovidedto35GIGPCWSRFprojectswithupto90%funding.SixteenofthesewereGPR energy efficiency projects and four were environmentalinnovationprojects.Combined,these 20 projects provided an estimated 13.6millionkWhinavoidedelectricaluseor generation.

TheenergyefficiencyprojectsfinancedthroughtheGIGPwerecomponentsofwastewater

treatmentplantupgrades.Energysavingsandgenerationatthesefacilitiesrangefrom11,000kWh/yearforasolarpowerproject,whichwillprovide7%ofelectricityon-site,to3.3millionkWh/yearforacombinedheatandpowerproject.Inaddition,threeenvironmentallyinnovativeprojectsusedpotentialsourcesofwaterpollution(e.g.,sewagesludge,yellowgrease,andanimalmanure) as sources of heat and power.

Onesuchprojectisananaerobicdigestertoconvertanimalmanure—whichisacommonnon-pointsourceofwaterqualityimpacts—andindustrialfoodprocessingwasteintoenergy.Theprojectsponsor,CayugaCountySoilandWaterConservationDistrict(SWCD),isnotatraditionalCWSRFapplicant.AstheSWCDdoesnothaveborrowingcapacity,itcouldnotobtainaCWSRFloaninNewYork.PriortoimplementationoftheGIGPgrants,thisprojectcouldnothavebeenfundedinNewYork.Yetthisprojectwillprotectwaterqualitybyremovinganon-pointsourceofpollutionwhileatthesametimecreatingrenewableenergyandprovidingpowertotheneighboringindustrialpark.ThisinnovativeprojectisanticipatedtorealizethehighestenergybenefitofalloftheNYSCWSRFprojectsfundedbyARRA,with5.475millionkWhgenerated per year.

TheGIGPreceivedtheU.S.EPA’s2009PISCESAward,whichrecognizesprojectsthatexemplifytheCWSRF’scommitmenttoinnovative,sustainablewaterqualityfinancingfor the performance and innovation.

Case Study www.epa.gov/ow/eparecovery

gREEn innovation

gRant PRogRaM

EPA-830-F-10-001 | August 2010

New York State Wastewater I n i t ia t ives | 4

The Green Innovation Grant Program

received the EPA’s 2009 PISCES

Award, recognizing its commitment

to innovative, sustainable water quality financing.

InconcertwiththeEPA/DOT/HUDSustainableCommunitiesPartnershipPilotProgram,EFCisreviewingtheCWSRFprogramtofurtherencourage energy efficiency in the wastewater sectoraswellastomeetothercross-cuttingsustainabilitygoalsincludingsmartgrowth,water efficiency, green infrastructure, and asset management.EFCwillcontinueonbothpaths

ofcollaborationwithNYSERDAandinnovationthroughtheGIGP.

Foradditionalinformation,contactDeidreaMiller,AssistantDirectorofCommunicationsfortheNewYorkStateEnvironmentalFacilitiesCorporation,at(800)882-9721.

thE FutuRE oF gPR in nEW yoRk

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