SUNY and NYSERDA Create Partnership to Accelerate Real-World Solutions to New York’s Energy Challeng
SUNY and NYSERDA Create Partnership to Accelerate Real-World Solutions to New York’s Energy Challenges Memorandum of Understanding Will Encourage Deployment of Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency at Campuses Statewide
Albany – The State University of New York (SUNY) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced today an agreement to accelerate Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s clean energy agenda by establishing a robust partnership to drive campus-wide sustainability, catalyze entrepreneurship and economic development opportunities, and ensure New York produces a pipeline of skilled clean energy workers to advance the clean energy economy. “Through Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York State is in a strong position to take clean energy sustainability and energy efficiency to a new level, and it is for that reason SUNY and NYSERDA can combine our assets and expertise in this area to make a significant contribution toward New York State’s goals,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. “With SUNY’s 2,300 buildings – 40 percent of state-owned buildings – and a world-class team of researchers and energy experts at both NYSERDA and SUNY, we can test cutting-edge solutions on SUNY campuses to see what works best to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy costs. When we find what works, we can expand solutions to the communities we serve.” Alicia Barton, NYSERDA President and CEO said, “By strategically aligning our efforts, NYSERDA and SUNY will be able to create new models for driving comprehensive clean energy, education and workforce training opportunities on a system level. Our state’s college campuses and research facilities are leading by example in playing a significant role in advancing Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy agenda. They are demonstrating that investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy are a smart financial decision and that these investments, when paired with the world class educational and training opportunities offered by the SUNY system, are fueling the creation of a new generation of clean energy workforce in New York.” The partnership is intended to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship around clean energy enabling technologies, stimulate new university-industry partnerships, assist SUNY to become a model for the community in building energy efficiency, and educate the next generation of energy industry leaders. The Memorandum of Understanding between SUNY and NYSERDA includes:
Investigating opportunities to expand the clean energy training capacity across the state through curriculum development and faculty and laboratory training.
Collaborating to create more hands-on opportunities for students with clean energy businesses through internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and capstone projects.
Supporting the development of facility-wide plans to achieve New York State’s greenhouse gas reduction goal of 40 percent by 2030, highlighting opportunities where SUNY can lead by example.
Providing SUNY campuses with tailored assistance to help meet and exceed all Governor Cuomo’s energy directives.