NYSERDA Names ABA Consulting Loan Fund Partner

January 29, 2008

Albany, NY-- The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced it has selected the Economic Development Services Team of ABA Consulting, LLC to recruit, train and support financial institutions across the state in their use of the New York Energy $martSM Loan Fund.

Created by NYSERDA in 1998, the goal of the Energy $martSM Loan Fund is to partner with banks in offering reduced interest rate loans to individuals and businesses that will transform the way they manage their energy resources. The end result will be a cleaner environment for New York State and a model program for other states to follow.

“The Energy Smart Loan Fund has proven to be a key component of NYSERDA’s highly effective portfolio of consumer programs. The selection of ABA Consulting to broaden the Loan network will provide expanded opportunities for residential and business energy consumers to utilize this powerful financial assistance tool and to take advantage of energy saving and environmentally friendly technologies, thereby lowering their energy bills, reducing harmful emissions, mitigating global warming and helping to meet Governor Spitzer’s goal of reducing electric consumption 15 percent by 2015,” said Paul D. Tonko, President and CEO of NYSERDA.

ABA Consulting, a subsidiary of accounting giant Anchin, Block & Anchin, LLP of Manhattan, was chosen for this project for many reasons, including:

• Its robust Economic Development Services practice. The professionals who comprise this team – former government officials, economic development professionals, and certified public accountants – have successfully brought their clients millions of dollars in savings through various local, state and federal incentive programs.
• Access to one of the “best of the best” certified public accounting firms in the country (according to Inside Public Accounting Magazine). The economic development professionals have access to more than 350 accounting professionals who understand and explain the benefits of tax savings to their clients.
• Anchin’s extensive banking network and its outstanding relationship in the banking community.

Members of ABA Consulting’s Economic Development Services Team are available to train lenders across the state who are interested in becoming a part of the network of Loan Fund participating lenders or to retrain lenders if the institution is a Loan Fund participating lender but not actively using the program.

For further information about the Loan Fund program or to schedule training, contact David Meade, project manager, by phone at 212.840.3456 or by email at david.meade@anchin.com.

Contact

Sal Graven, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext 3331
sg2@nyserda.ny.gov