The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) today announced the completed installation of energy-efficient LED lights at New York City Police Department (NYPD) facilities. The nearly $17 million lighting replacements and retrofits will save the City nearly $750,000 in annual energy and maintenance costs and will reduce carbon emissions by more than 1,800 metric tons the equivalent of taking 400 cars off the road.
"We at DCAS are proud to partner with NYPA on this transformative LED lighting project at NYPD facilities," said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. "By implementing energy-efficient solutions through the Direct Install Lighting Program, we not only enhance the safety and functionality of these crucial spaces but also make significant strides towards reducing the city's carbon footprint. This initiative exemplifies our commitment to sustainability and underscores the power of collaboration in advancing our shared environmental goals."
"NYPA and DCAS have a shared goal of shrinking New York City's carbon footprint by implementing cost-effective, common-sense, energy efficient solutions," said New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. "The fixtures installed throughout police precincts and facilities will save the NYPD nearly $750,000 annually and provide reliable lighting to 67 facilities throughout the city."
More than 37,000 state-of-the-art LED lights were installed to replace existing fluorescent light fixtures at 67 NYPD facilities across all five boroughs. The new energy efficient lights were installed in corridors, hallways, offices and mechanical equipment rooms. As part of the projects, NYPA also installed lighting controls.
DCAS, in partnership with NYPA, is accelerating LED lighting upgrades throughout New York City as part of the Direct Install Lighting Program by retrofitting existing fixtures on a one-for-one basis with pre-configured kits, reducing costs and project timelines by up to 70%. The vast scale of the city's portfolio of buildings requires a systems-based approach to delivering projects rather than thousands of unique designs to reduce costs, increase speed, and simplify maintenance.
Moving forward, DCAS will also deploy the Direct Install Lighting Program in other portfolios, including New York City Public Schools as part of the Leading the Charge initiative, which will install energy-efficient LED lights in 800 schools across the city. These efforts are all geared towards compliance with New York City's Local Law 97 mandates, which require city government operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
"We need all the tools available to decarbonize city government operations," said New York City's Chief Decarbonization Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Energy Management Sana Barakat. "The Direct Install Lighting Program is just that: another tool added to our toolbox that enables the city to scale more efficiently and quickly. The LED lighting upgrades across a broad swath of NYPD facilities are a great example of turnkey design and delivery by DCAS, all made possible through the important partnership with NYPA.
"New York City continues to follow through on the mayor's pledge to make tremendous investments in clean, efficient buildings to combat climate change and create healthier environments for our communities," said Beatrice Thuo, DCAS Executive Deputy Commissioner for Citywide Operations. "With the completion of lighting upgrades at 67 police facilities to utilize the most energy-efficient and rapidly developing lighting technology, we have created substantial energy savings for NYPD and the city, and are providing environmental benefits and a better overall lighting experience for our city's finest. This could not have been possible without the partnership of NYPD and NYPA, and we thank them for their efforts in service of our city."
NYPA provides upfront financing for the projects, with payments to NYPA made in the years following from the cost-savings created by the reduced energy use. Over the last five years, NYPA has implemented energy efficiency projects totaling nearly $200 million for its New York City governmental customers, reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 27,000 metric tons the equivalent of removing more than 6,000 gas-powered vehicles from the road.
Buildings are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New York State and integrating energy efficiency and electrification measures in new and existing buildings will reduce carbon pollution and help achieve more sustainable, healthy, and comfortable buildings in support of the State's ambitious goal to achieve 2 million climate-friendly homes by 2030. Through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Power Authority and other utility programs, more than $6.8 billion is being invested to decarbonize buildings to achieve the state's decarbonization goals. By improving energy efficiency in buildings and including onsite storage, renewables, and electric vehicle charging equipment, the State will reduce carbon pollution and advance the target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion Btus by 2025, the equivalent of powering 1.8 million homes.
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35%, with a goal of 40%, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation's most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $46 billion in 65 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000% growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York's climate action with 400 registered and more than 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State's largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:
- Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees
- Managing 55 public buildings
- Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property
- Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies
- Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country
- Leading the City's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations
Contact: media.inquiries@nypa.gov | (518) 860-9935
See photos here
