Hudson, NY, July 19, 2007 - The non-profit Eco-Grid has entered into a Contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which awards funding for a 12-month feasibility (engineering) study of "district energy" from renewable sources, in Hudson and adjacent Greenport, NY. The cash award of $101,520 carries in-kind contributions of $238,075.00, which brings the total value of the Eco-Grid Feasibility Study to $339,595.00. The title of the Study is Eco-Grid Biomass-Fired District CHP/Heating and Cooling System (the official NYSERDA Statement of Work can be accessed from this link).

Paul D. Tonko, President and CEO of NYSERDA said: "This innovative approach to controlling energy costs with local fuel sources is one which deserves careful study and consideration. We look forward to reviewing ECO-GRID's report."

Heating costs have risen in Hudson by more than 60% in the past 5 years. Approximately 25% of the city of Hudson's population lives below poverty level and is most directly affected by the rising cost of energy. Eco-Grid's planning process is a response to the need for both stable energy prices and clean energy from local sources. Eco-Grid is above all a community project.

By definition, a water or steam district-energy system includes 3 distinct elements: a distribution network, customer connections and one or more centralized heating/cooling sources. District-energy systems range in size from small projects with a few buildings (Proctor's Theatre project in Schenectady) to projects that extend to the majority of customers in municipalities (Lund, Sweden). Eco-Grid's study will identify and evaluate the opportunities for the success of this technology in Hudson and Greenport, NY. This process will build upon the City of Hudson Mayor Dick Tracy signing onto the US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement in December of 2006, along with the associated work of the City of Hudson Cool Cities Advisory Panel in striving to implement energy solutions that reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Eco-Grid's feasibility study will include ECO-GRID team members Principal Advisor Morris Pierce, PhD, District-Energy Specialist; Richard Cohen, Founder, Eco-Grid; Maria Miller, Executive Director, Eco-Grid; Matt de la Houssaye, Project Manager, Eco-Grid; Sadie Coulter, Research Associate, Eco-Grid. FVB Energy will be the Lead Engineer on the study to design and plan the district-energy system. Mesa Reduction Engineering and Think-21 LLC (anaerobic digestion) will have pivotal roles in the biomass-availability part of the study.

Eco-Grid Communications Director: Maria Miller
PHONE: 518 822 0222 | FAX: 518 828 2288
EMAIL: mariamillerm@aol.com
417 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY 12534