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Power Authority Committee to continue under new supervisor
By Paul Crossman
Though there will be a change in the composition of the Kinderhook Town Board in January, according to Supervisor Elect Pat Grattan, the Kinderhook Power Authority Committee will continue to work toward providing the town with cheaper, cleaner forms of energy.
“We’re going to keep the committee,” said Grattan. “I haven’t heard anyone say we shouldn’t ... I know I’m in favor of it.”
Councilman Peter Bujanow, who heads the committee and was not up for reelection this year is also glad that for the time being, at least, the project will continue, as there are several new directions the committee is looking at which could really benefit the community.
“We’re still hopeful that the town can become efficient and self-sustainable,” he told the Register-Star.
The part of the plan currently closest to fruition is putting solar panels on both the highway garage, and one of the buildings at Volunteers Park. The committee had also been considering powering the Town Hall with solar energy, but decided it wasn’t set up in such a way to make roof panels feasible, and there would be no real location to put ground panels.
According to Bujanow, the Power Committee and the Town Board are trying to accomplish procuring and installing the solar panels at no cost to the taxpayers through a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, grant which could cover up to 100 percent of the costs involved.
Bujanow did say though, that just because the grant could cover 100 percent of the costs, doesn’t mean that it necessarily will, and because of this the committee plans to go to U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy’s office to help fund any portion of project that NYSERDA won’t cover.
The committee is hopeful the proposal will get funded, both because it is exactly the type of grant NYSERDA is looking for, and because they have local man and Hudson Valley Clean Energy certified NYSERDA contractor Carlos Newcomb helping them build and review the grants before they are submitted.
Bujanow said that aside from grants for the solar panels, they are still looking at small-wind energy, and on a larger scale, trying to share power created by the hydroelectric plant in Stuyvesant.
“The beauty of Stuyvesant’s project,” said Bujanow previously, “is that they have a capability that exceeds the needs of that community. It would only make sense if we could get an intermunicipal agreement to have that plant help power the town of Kinderhook.”
He went on to add that right now Stuyvesant can only sell its power back to National Grid, and that this meant the rates it received varied from day to day. Because of this, it would be beneficial to both communities to reach an agreement.
“Stuyvesant Hydro is considered a wholesaler,” Bujanow told the Register-Star, “but right now they can only sell back to the grid. Our most favorable option would be to come to an agreement with them.”
Another reason for this, he went on to say, is because there is still an electric trolley line that runs from Stuyvesant to Kinderhook, which could go a long way toward solving many of the power transmission problems the town faces with other kinds of alternative energy.
Unlike solar power, Bujanow says that this project is still further in the future, as sharing power is currently prohibited. This would have to change in order to allow the Kinderhook Power Authority to really come to fruition, and Bujanow has high hopes that a bill proposed by Assemblyman Tim Gordon, I-Bethlehem — still currently hung up in the assembly — will eventually be passed, and allow the sharing and transmission of power within a 10 mile radius of the source.
Current Supervisor Doug McGivney also expressed his belief that work on the power authority he had been an integral part in creating should be continued after he steps down.
“It’s an important undertaking,” he said. “I hope that all the efforts toward alternative energy use and saving the citizens money will continue long into the future.”
To reach reporter Paul Crossman, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2266, or e-mail pcrossman@registerstar.com.
“We’re going to keep the committee,” said Grattan. “I haven’t heard anyone say we shouldn’t ... I know I’m in favor of it.”
Councilman Peter Bujanow, who heads the committee and was not up for reelection this year is also glad that for the time being, at least, the project will continue, as there are several new directions the committee is looking at which could really benefit the community.
“We’re still hopeful that the town can become efficient and self-sustainable,” he told the Register-Star.
The part of the plan currently closest to fruition is putting solar panels on both the highway garage, and one of the buildings at Volunteers Park. The committee had also been considering powering the Town Hall with solar energy, but decided it wasn’t set up in such a way to make roof panels feasible, and there would be no real location to put ground panels.
According to Bujanow, the Power Committee and the Town Board are trying to accomplish procuring and installing the solar panels at no cost to the taxpayers through a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, grant which could cover up to 100 percent of the costs involved.
Bujanow did say though, that just because the grant could cover 100 percent of the costs, doesn’t mean that it necessarily will, and because of this the committee plans to go to U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy’s office to help fund any portion of project that NYSERDA won’t cover.
The committee is hopeful the proposal will get funded, both because it is exactly the type of grant NYSERDA is looking for, and because they have local man and Hudson Valley Clean Energy certified NYSERDA contractor Carlos Newcomb helping them build and review the grants before they are submitted.
Bujanow said that aside from grants for the solar panels, they are still looking at small-wind energy, and on a larger scale, trying to share power created by the hydroelectric plant in Stuyvesant.
“The beauty of Stuyvesant’s project,” said Bujanow previously, “is that they have a capability that exceeds the needs of that community. It would only make sense if we could get an intermunicipal agreement to have that plant help power the town of Kinderhook.”
He went on to add that right now Stuyvesant can only sell its power back to National Grid, and that this meant the rates it received varied from day to day. Because of this, it would be beneficial to both communities to reach an agreement.
“Stuyvesant Hydro is considered a wholesaler,” Bujanow told the Register-Star, “but right now they can only sell back to the grid. Our most favorable option would be to come to an agreement with them.”
Another reason for this, he went on to say, is because there is still an electric trolley line that runs from Stuyvesant to Kinderhook, which could go a long way toward solving many of the power transmission problems the town faces with other kinds of alternative energy.
Unlike solar power, Bujanow says that this project is still further in the future, as sharing power is currently prohibited. This would have to change in order to allow the Kinderhook Power Authority to really come to fruition, and Bujanow has high hopes that a bill proposed by Assemblyman Tim Gordon, I-Bethlehem — still currently hung up in the assembly — will eventually be passed, and allow the sharing and transmission of power within a 10 mile radius of the source.
Current Supervisor Doug McGivney also expressed his belief that work on the power authority he had been an integral part in creating should be continued after he steps down.
“It’s an important undertaking,” he said. “I hope that all the efforts toward alternative energy use and saving the citizens money will continue long into the future.”
To reach reporter Paul Crossman, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2266, or e-mail pcrossman@registerstar.com.
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