New York’s energy landscape is gearing up for some revolutionary changes. Last year under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the State embarked on its reforming the energy vision (REV) strategy. Through regulatory reform and market transformation measures, REV will ensure that all New Yorkers have access to affordable, clean, reliable and resilient energy. By 2030, REV seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% from 1990 energy sector levels, generate 50% of our electricity from renewable sources and reduce overall energy use by 23% through energy efficiency measures.

How does REV impact data centers?

One of the pillars of REV is the Clean Energy Fund (CEF) implemented by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The CEF is designed to support REV’s ambitious goals by focusing on energy efficiency, clean energy and energy innovation. 

For more than 40 years, NYSERDA has helped commercial, industrial, multifamily, and residential customers in New York manage their energy consumption. Since 2009, NYSERDA has provided financial incentives for data center efficiency measures through its Industrial and Process Efficiency Program. This program has helped hundreds of data center owners and operators install energy-reducing measures in their New York data centers, achieving millions of kWh in energy savings.

While this program has been very successful, NYSERDA plans to unveil new data center initiatives through the CEF. NYSERDA will offer an Industrial Transition Program, which will continue to provide technical and financial assistance for data center process improvement projects such as IT equipment upgrades. Incentives will be offered starting March 2016 and remain available until the end of 2017 or until funds are fully committed.  NYSERDA will collaborate with utilities to support customers during the transition. The Authority successfully collaborates with Consolidated Edison in a similar manner and will replicate this approach in other utility service territories.

Additional details about NYSERDA’s CEF strategies will be announced in the coming months, and these strategies are sure to add momentum to this exciting time in New York’s energy space. NYSERDA looks forward to leveraging new and innovative developments in data center energy efficiency to help New York reach REV’s goals.