The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that up to $5 million is available for proposals that include innovative clean transportation technologies and strategies to improve operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for public transit systems throughout the state. The proposals support Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's clean energy goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, "This funding is part of Governor Cuomo's comprehensive clean transportation strategy, which is driving transformation throughout the transportation sector to reduce emissions and make it easier than ever to ride clean and electric. These projects are a critical component for advancing solutions to some of our most pressing transportation efficiency and operations challenges while improving ridership experiences for New Yorkers."

NYSERDA will award the funding as part of a two-step competitive process. Applicants must first submit concept papers focusing on new or underutilized solutions that can help transit agencies make tangible improvements to bus and rail operations while achieving energy savings using one of three strategies:

• reducing traction power energy use;
• increasing the efficiency of transit buses; or
• developing new hardware and software technologies that improve
  transit agency operations and ridership statewide.

Concept papers must be for technical feasibility studies, new product development, or demonstration of technologies and business models, and will be accepted through August 7, 2018. All proposed projects should be economically viable, replicable, and relevant to transit agencies in New York State. NYSERDA will use a competitive process to identify the best concept papers and invite those applicants to submit follow-up proposals.

The proposals selected will receive funding to move forward with their projects in an effort to make transit systems more efficient, reduce transit agency expenses, and lower greenhouse gas emissions by increasing transit ridership, reducing fuel consumption among buses, and decreasing the amount of electricity required to power trains.

Funding is available through the state's 10-year, $5.3 billion Clean Energy Fund. In total, $18.5 million will be made available in multiple rounds of funding for projects to increase efficiency in public transit systems through 2022. More information about this funding is available on NYSERDA's website.

The transportation sector is one of the largest producers of energy related greenhouse gas emissions in New York State. As a result, the state has multiple initiatives and programs designed to reduce these emissions and support innovators who can translate ideas into market-ready cleaner transportation products, services, and strategies for New Yorkers. 

The state is reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector through its successful Drive Clean Rebate initiative which provides New York residents with rebates of up to $2,000 for the purchase of a new or leased electric car. Since its launch, more than 6,600 New York residents have received rebates totaling more than $7.5 million.

To further encourage and support electric car adoption, Governor Cuomo recently announced a $250 million electric vehicle expansion initiative to create private sector partnerships to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles throughout the state, building on his State of the State proposal to increase the number of charging stations across New York by the end of 2021. Under the Governor's Charge NY 2.0 initiative, at least 10,000 charging stations will be made available and the state will expand clean fuel corridors so clean cars can travel throughout New York's interstate system and recharge at convenient locations. The program builds upon Charge NY, which was launched in 2013 and has a target of 30,000 to 40,000 electric cars on the road by the end of 2018. 

NYSERDA | www.nyserda.ny.gov