May 11, 2007: National Grid Awards Funding for Riverview Business Park Energy Study

National Grid has awarded $134,389 to Operation Oswego County to contract with O'Brien & Gere, an engineering and project delivery firm headquartered in Syracuse, to create a master plan for energy asset management and development at Riverview Business Park (RBP) in the town of Volney. The plan will analyze existing energy assets, project future needs and opportunities, and quantify and qualify possible solutions with an emphasis on renewable and innovative technologies.

The study will be a collaboration of partners associated with the renewable energy field including Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Clarkson, Cornell and Syracuse Universities, New York AgriDevelopment Corporation and the New York Farm Bureau. Public sector partners in the study will include Empire State Development Corporation, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, USDA Rural Development, Rep. John McHugh, New York State Sen. James Wright, and Assemblyman William Barclay.

“The future development of RBP and its potential users like the Northeast Biofuels (NEB) ethanol project will mean more jobs and economic opportunity for the people of Oswego County and upstate New York,” said Eric W. Will II, co-owner of Riverview and developer of NEB. “Maximizing our energy efficiencies and developing synergies is a key to the successful build-out of Riverview. The energy study is a critical first step in this process.”

In addition to the production of ethanol, Will said that operations at RBP will also include biodiesel production, as well as the possible commercialization of biomass technology to create ethanol and other biofuels from locally grown cellulosic feed stocks such as willow and switch grass.

"We believe that the Riverview project will help our region and our state benefit economically from the challenge of climate change and further enhance our reputation as the Creative Core, Real, Smart and Green," said Marilyn Higgins, vice president for economic development at National Grid.

“New York State and Oswego County are emerging as the Northeast’s leaders in the development of biofuels, and I am pleased to support this ongoing initiative of bringing additional renewable energy and economic development opportunities to the area,” said New York State Sen. James Wright, who is the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications. “The development of innovative, renewable energy sources in Oswego County will not only help us as a nation gain independence from foreign oil, but it also creates jobs, bolsters the agriculture industry, and supports our local economies.”

New York State Assemblyman William Barclay said, "I am pleased that National Grid has awarded this funding to Operation Oswego County. The development of the Riverview Business Park will put New York on the forefront of producing renewable energy. This will be good for the environment and good for the economy of Oswego County and the state of New York.”

NEB and partner Permolex International have recently begun construction on what will be one of the nation’s largest ethanol plants and likely first in New York State and the Northeast. The plant will occupy about 90 acres adjacent to the 330-acre RPB, which is being developed as an industrial park with a special focus on renewable energy and agribusiness. During construction of the plant, approximately 450 local workers will be on the job. When operational later this year, NEB is expected to employ a staff of 50, and will help create approximately 1,500 spin-off jobs in agriculture, transportation, and other sectors of the upstate New York economy.

NEB has estimated that it expects to use more than 40 million bushels of corn to produce 114 million gallons of ethanol a year. The ethanol will be marketed for use primarily in New York State and the Northeast as a clean-burning, oil-saving gasoline additive. About 25 percent of the corn is expected to be purchased from New York State farmers.

Biodiesel manufacturer GS Fulton Biodiesel will also locate at RBP. The multi million-dollar project will produce 10 million gallons of biodiesel a year from soybeans. The fuel will be used for home heating purposes. The state-of-the-art plant will employ 15 people and invest approximately $4 million. This would be one of the first co-locations for both ethanol and biodiesel in the country.

In addition, BOC Gases will build a $14-million liquefaction facility to capture and process carbon dioxide from NEB for sale in the industrial gas market. Perdue Farms will also be heavily involved both supplying corn to NEB and marketing distiller dried grains, an ethanol co-product sold as a nutritional supplement for dairy and other livestock.

“National Grid has paved the way for the initiation of this study which is an essential step toward helping to make Oswego County a leader in the renewable energy field. Our focus is on attracting new and innovative technology, working cooperatively with the educational expertise, and advancing the renewable energy industry in upstate New York,” said L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, executive director of Operation Oswego County. “Success at RBP will also help address national and state objectives of reducing our dependency on foreign oil and increasing our use of fuels derived from renewable sources.”

National Grid, through the transmission and distribution of electricity and natural gas, serves close to 4 million customers across 29,000 square miles of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.

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