Renewable Heat NY, a $27 million initiative
aimed at building a sustainable, high efficiency,
low-emission wood heating sector
in New York, was announced by state officials
in late July.
Renewable Heat NY will help develop
more clean technology manufacturing based
in New York, a skilled installer base, and
sustainably harvested wood fuels from state
forests–supporting economic development
while preserving the environment, state officials
said.
State Sen. Betty Little of Queensbury said,
“There’s a lot to be gained by growing the renewable
wood-fired heating systems sector. We have abundant supply in the Northeast,
the product is renewable and not something
being imported from overseas. Technology is
improving efficiency and reducing pollution.
And, it’s creating new job opportunities. This
is a great public-private partnership that will
benefit communities throughout the state.”
“The wood-fired heating industry is an
important source of energy in Upstate New
York, and by launching Renewable Heat NY
we are helping to shape this growing sector
with a focus on clean, sustainable, and
highly-efficient practices,” said Gov. Andrew
Cuomo. “This initiative is the most comprehensive
in the nation, and I am confident
that it will support the continued evolution
of a vibrant wood heating sector in rural
areas of the state.”
Officials said Renewable Heat NY promotes
the highest efficiency class of wood fired
heating technologies in the nation,
and is expected to make New York State a
national leader in developing this low-emissions
industry. Environmental and public
health benefits, along with a reduction in
fossil-fuel use, an increase in sustainable
forestry, and the expansion of the wood pellet
and equipment supply chains, will benefit
communities across the state.
U.S. Rep Paul Tonko said the public-private
partnership between NYSERDA, DEC
and local businesses “builds infrastructure
that will allow us to heat our homes more efficiently,
at lower costs during and with local
sources during the harsh winter months.”
He said as an assemblyman and former
president and CEO of NYSERDA, he worked
closely with community leaders and local
small businesses to ensure they were on
“the cutting edge of the energy sector and
innovation economy.”
John B. Rhodes,president and CEO of
NYSERDA, said the initiative will lower costs
for high-efficiency, low-emissions wood heating
systems, and create greater acceptance
in the market. “NYSERDA will jump-start
the initiative with large anchor projects,
which will help increase demand for wood
pellets and decrease the costs for smaller
residential and commercial customers as
the market grows.”
DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said his
agency is actively exploring ways to install a
woody biomass system to supply the heating
needs of DEC, the New York State Police and
the Adirondack Park Agency at the State
office Campus at Ray Brook.
Officials said Renewable Heat NY will
reduce wood smoke, fine particle, and carbon
monoxide emissions by offering incentives
to retire and recycle highly polluting
outdoor and indoor wood boilers and wood
stove technologies and replace them with
high-efficiency, low emissions wood heating
technologies.
The program includes new residential
and commercial financial incentives and
training, available through NYSERDA, and
sustainable biomass harvesting guidelines
for suppliers of wood biomass, which will be
developed and promoted by DEC. Additional
elements of the initiative will be announced
in 2015, including research and development
support to drive innovation, further product
development and track improvements in
wood smoke emissions reductions.
Incentive programs were launched to
develop higher performing residential pellet
stoves, residential and small commercial advanced
cordwood heating systems, and large
and small commercial pellet boiler heating
systems. Incentives for small pellet boilers
will be available for residential use in 2015.
More information on the residential and
commercial incentive programs is available
at: www.nyserda.ny.gov/renewableheatny
Officials said DEC will work with stakeholders
to evaluate, develop and adopt a
suite of recommended “best management
practices” (BMP) specific to forest biomass
harvesting for power or heating, as well as
broader sustainable forestry BMPs.
Funding for Renewable Heat NY is made
possible through the Regional Greenhouse
Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first innovative
market-based mechanism in the United
States to cap and cost-effectively reduce the
carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate
change, according to NYSERDA.
RGGI was the world’s first program to
auction the emission credits (rather than
give them away for free) and invest the
auction proceeds in projects that conserve
energy, save consumers money and support
the transition to cleaner and more efficient
production of energy, officials said.
NYSERDA is providing training for heating
system designers, installers, energy
auditors and code officials so they can
become proficient in the best practices for
installing and operating these advanced
pellet boiler, cordwood boiler and pellet
stove systems. Training will be ongoing to
provide the skilled workforce needed for
industry growth.