Cuomo launches $3M energy competition for state schools

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the Energy to Lead competition, which will award $1 million each to three student-led coalitions who create the most comprehensive plans for campus and community clean energy projects.

The competition is part of Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision, which calls for a statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent as well as a plan for New York to generate 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources and decrease energy consumption in buildings by 23 percent by 2030. The award money will go toward completing the proposed projects.

“This competition will engage our future leaders today in this fight against climate change,” Cuomo said.

The competition, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is open to students from students from two- and four-year public and private universities in New York. All proposals must have at least one undergraduate or graduate student from the school and be submitted by a faculty member.

Applications, which are available on the NYSERDA website, must be submitted by 5 p.m. on April 4. Those applying should describe how their project would reduce emissions and how the $1 million award would be used to make the project possible.

Web seminars on the project will be held Feb. 10 and March 1 on the NYSERDA website.