System Benefits Charge

Smart Grid and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

Average Annual Budget: $10.76 million

Goal: Accelerate the market readiness of emerging smart grid and grid-powered vehicle infrastructure technologies and strategies that can enhance system performance, reliability, and environmental quality

• Demonstrate and evaluate innovative technologies, new business models, and policy options that can improve performance of the electric power delivery system
• Support and prepare for the integration and increase in market penetration of renewable energy and electric vehicles
• Demonstrate and evaluate the value of Smart Grid technologies and strategies for end-use customers
• Coordinate with electric utilities, the New York Smart Grid Consortium and New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium to accelerate technology integration/adoption
• Leverage opportunities for federal and private funding

Advanced Clean Power

Average Annual Budget: $10.35 million

Goal: Reduce barriers and costs and increase market acceptance of clean power generation in New York

• Develop and demonstrate clean power technologies including offshore wind, tidal/current energy, advanced solar PV materials and components, and advanced airfoil technologies
• Demonstrate capacity to develop available renewable resources, with an emphasis on the needs of the New York City load center
• Develop inventory of sites, fuel/resource supplies, and project development opportunities
• Reduce the balance-of-systems costs of PV systems that lead to increased adoption
• Focus on near-term opportunities to reduce cost of renewable energy, for example through reduced balance-of-system and installation costs for PV and optimization of large-scale wind energy

Combined Heat and Power

Average Annual Budget: $15.0 million

Goal: Reduce barriers and costs and increase market penetration of combined heat and power (CHP) in New York

• Implement pilot program to promote pre-engineered modular-based CHP systems and to break down barriers to broader use of CHP in various markets
• Provide performance-based payments for custom CHP systems that benefit summer peak demand periods

Advanced Buildings               

Average Annual Budget: $15.06 million

Goal: Reduce barriers and costs and increase market acceptance of high-performance, high-efficiency building technologies and practices in New York

• Develop and demonstrate new and improved technologies, strategies, business models, and practices that can reduce energy waste, increase use of on-site energy, and better manage load in New York’s building stock
• Use stake-holder process to develop large-scale, multi-site pilots that expose engineers, architects and service providers to new technology and accelerate market acceptance of emerging technology
• Enable buildings to manage load and to participate in demand response programs and direct load control pilots through use of automated controls and communication protocols compatible with emerging demand-side energy and ancillary services markets

Advanced Energy Codes and Standards

Average Annual Budget: $3.34 million

Goal: Maximize the real-world energy savings from energy codes and standards in New York and continue to push the envelope through the development of more stringent voluntary codes

• Train building design and construction community, and provide on-site assistance to local building code officials to help the State achieve Energy Code compliance goal of 90%
• Develop a stretch energy code that is 20% - 30% more efficient than the current levels that could be voluntarily adopted by communities
• Advance standards for additional equipment categories not covered by federal standards to capture savings in the New York

Market Development

Average Annual Budget: $14.07 million

Goal: Develop the supply chain for energy efficient products and services and continue to build market demand for emerging and high-performance energy systems

• Conduct market research and data analysis for specific market sectors & technologies to obtain information and insights to guide programs
• Address market barriers to technology adoption that need to be overcome. Pilot novel behavioral, financing, and marketing approaches
• Build supply, demand and market delivery infrastructure for emerging and underused technologies and practices
• Educate and inform market stakeholders and consumers about emerging clean energy choices

Clean Energy Business Development

Average Annual Budget: $8.35 million

Goal: Catalyze innovation and foster an entrepreneurial climate for business creation and growth of early-stage companies in New York that can bring new and improved clean energy technologies to market

• Establish new university-industry partnerships in New York through “Proof-of-Concept” centers that will move university-based innovations to market
• Support the development of clean energy clusters in New York, working in concert with the Regional Economic Development Councils
• Identify leveraging opportunities with private capital, the federal government, and other public-private partnerships to help grow clean energy companies in New York

Workforce Development

Average Annual Budget: $7.8 million

Goal: Provide the workforce with the skills necessary for proper installation, operation, and maintenance of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced technology systems.

• Identify and develop necessary certifications with third-party professional certifying organizations
• Work with community colleges and other organizations to support and expand the network of qualified training facilities
• Develop courses that can be offered as continuing education to practitioners and as integrated components of college certificate and degree programs and trades training
• Link workforce training to business and industry through initiatives such as on-the-job training, internships and apprenticeships

Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Protection

Average Annual Budget: $3.71 million

Goal: Increase the understanding and awareness of the environmental impacts of energy choices and emerging energy options by providing a strong scientific, technical foundation for formulating effective, equitable energy-related policies and practices

• Enhance the understanding of the ecological and health impacts and co-benefits of emerging alternative energy technologies
• Support energy-related environmental accountability through analysis of long-term monitoring and modeling
• Enhance the understanding of emission source types, source regions, and specific pollution components contributing to major energy-related environmental problems in New York
• Use stakeholder and expert input through Program and Science Advisory Groups to guide research agenda