More Than $23 Million Awarded  NYS Innovative Projects To Reduce Carbon Emissions 

Advances Community and Economic Development Across the State, Including in Disadvantaged Communities

December 29, 2025

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced more than $23 million has been awarded through the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative to 15 innovative projects that will reduce statewide carbon emissions through innovative technologies and energy efficiency upgrades. The projects, six of which are located in disadvantaged communities , were selected by NYSERDA to participate, subject to successful execution of contracts, in the Building Cleaner Communities Competition or the Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge. Today’s announcement advances community and economic development across New York State while reducing energy usage, increasing comfort, and promoting cleaner air and environment.

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “These innovative projects will make a significant impact across New York State by redefining how our buildings and infrastructure are designed, operated, and powered. By upgrading existing structures with energy efficient technologies and advancing clean energy construction, New York is leading our communities toward a cleaner and healthier future.”

Building Cleaner Communities Competition
The Building Cleaner Communities Competition, administered by NYSERDA in partnership with Empire State Development and the New York Department of State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, provides focused incentives to support new construction and existing building renovation projects at commercial and mixed-use facilities that are regionally significant, including those located in disadvantaged communities, as defined by New York’s Climate Justice Working Group, to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors while reducing emissions. These projects result in jobs that provide family-sustaining wages and benefits for New Yorkers.

NYSERDA awarded more than $17 million for 13 projects located in the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Southern Tier, and Western New York regions including:

• 3 MetroTech Center, New York City* will transform a 330,000 square foot commercial building into New York University’s (NYU) Brooklyn campus gateway equipped with air source heat pumps, energy recovery ventilator, battery storage and storm water management.

• 21 Elizabeth Street, Kingston* will deliver a new all-electric, 20,530 square foot building with 15 units designed for low- and middle-income households featuring high-efficiency residences, electric vehicle charging stations, battery storage, and shared amenities.

• 143 Franklin Street, New York City will renovate a 43,882 square foot residential and cultural space that was previously a vacant industrial loft, aiming to transition the building operations off of fossil fuels to all-electric mechanical systems including air source heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, and a high-performance building envelope.

• 317 Vulcan Street, Buffalo* will renovate a 9,000 square foot building that houses the Family Support Center office at the Charter School for Applied Technologies (CSAT), designed to significantly improve energy performance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and serve as a replicable model across the region.

• 1876 Summit Knitting Mill, Philmont will be restored and adapted for reuse of the 34,550 square foot Summit Knitting Mill building, originally built in 1878, into an all-electric venue for private events and performing arts with rooftop solar, air source heat pumps, and high-performance envelope.

• ArtRage Gallery, Syracuse* will renovate a 3,800 square foot building that will include art exhibitions and community education and will target net-zero energy performance with a geothermal water heating system, induction ranges and rooftop solar with battery storage.

• Brightly Farms, Hamlin* will convert a 7,488 square foot pole barn that will undergo an adaptive re-use effort to become a carbon neutral cold storage facility for the short-term preservation of crops from October through March, including rooftop solar, high-performance envelope, storm water management, and electric vehicle charging stations.

• Evergreen Meadow Academy, Rock Hill will create a new all-electric, 33,200 square foot holistic residential treatment center and middle school, which will exclude fossil fuels from building operations and offset on-site energy use with a ground source heat pump and roof mounted and carport solar.

• Netzer Hall, Oneonta will renovate a 37,150 square foot building, located on the main SUNY Oneonta campus, will include a deep energy retrofit and renovation of Netzer Hall to include a geothermal loop and heat pumps, high performance envelope, building management system, electric vehicle charging stations, and stormwater management.

• One Lafayette, Newburgh* will transform a 200,000 square foot building and create 127 affordable housing units, 18 market rate units, and retail space with electric vehicle charging stations, ENERGY STAR® appliances, geothermal heat pump systems, and an air-tight envelope to reduce energy consumption.

• The Cornwall Arms, Cornwall will transform a 35,945 square foot building that is a long-abandoned, contaminated site on Cornwall’s Main St into a 52-room, carbon-neutral boutique hotel, with a restaurant and bar utilizing an air source heat pump, onsite solar with battery storage, high performance envelope, and ENERGY STAR® appliances.

• Tompkins County Center of Government Building, Ithaca will renovate a 50,000 square foot Tompkins County Center of Government (CoG) building that will include a green roof, electric vehicle charging stations, battery storage, energy recovery ventilator, and a district geothermal system integrated with neighboring county buildings

   *Located in a disadvantaged community.

Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge Awards
The Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Carbon Challenge is a competitive program that provides funding to large energy users such as manufacturers, colleges, universities, health care facilities, and office building owners in New York State to implement clean energy projects that reduce carbon emissions. Projects may utilize a combination of energy or manufacturing process efficiency strategies, carbon capture technology, low-carbon fuel utilization, renewable generation, or energy storage.

NYSERDA awarded over $5 million for two projects located in the Finger Lakes and Capital Region:

• Finger Lakes Health will implement seven greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects over the next three years at Geneva General Hospital in Geneva and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Penn Yan, replacing aging systems, improving HVAC system resilience, and reducing energy use.

• The Saratoga County Sewer District will modify existing processes at the County’s existing wastewater treatment plant to provide a long-term, cost-saving solution for biosolids management that produces renewable fuels and reduces the environmental impact of operations.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York's regional approach to economic development continues to create jobs and leverage private investments. With more than hundreds of projects supported across the state through multiple programs and state agencies, we are promoting opportunities that will generate sustainable economic growth.”

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “Sustainable building practices are key elements in the state’s economic, energy and environmental future. Our partnership with NYSERDA on our Downtown Revitalization Initiative and the State Energy Plan is creating green buildings and projects throughout the State, and our mutual commitment to communities identified as disadvantaged further ensures that our transition to a green economy is both just and equitable. We look forward to expanding that partnership into the future as we implement the Governor’s visionary and practical energy goals.”

Today’s announcement builds on the success of these two programs. Through the Building Cleaner Communities Competition, 70 projects have leveraged nearly $1.3 billion in public and private investment since 2018 to implement carbon neutral or net zero energy performance solutions. Through the C&I Carbon Challenge since 2018, NYSERDA has made awards that will cumulatively reduce 7.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of removing more than 1 million cars from the road annually.

Funding for this program was included in the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. The REDC process continues to support and empower regional stakeholders in developing strategic plans and funding priorities that meet local economic needs. Regional Councils reviewed projects from this program and provided scores that reflect how well a project aligns with a region’s goals and strategies. Applicants utilized New York’s Consolidated Funding Application, the state’s single application for state resources, which includes programs for numerous agencies. It is designed to provide expedited and streamlined access to a combined pool of grant funds and tax credits from dozens of existing programs. A full list of 2025 REDC awards that have been made can be found here .