The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has awarded more than $23 million to 15 projects under the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative to support emissions reductions through building upgrades and clean energy technologies.
The funding will be allocated through two programmes — the Building Cleaner Communities Competition and the Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge — subject to final contract execution. Six of the selected projects are located in disadvantaged communities, as defined by New York State’s Climate Justice Working Group.
Of the total, more than $17 million has been awarded to 13 projects under the Building Cleaner Communities Competition, supporting new construction and renovations of commercial, mixed-use and institutional buildings across multiple regions, including New York City, the Capital Region, Western New York and the Finger Lakes. The projects focus on measures such as electrification, heat pumps, geothermal systems, solar power, battery storage and energy-efficient building envelopes.
A further $5 million has been awarded to two projects under the Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge. These include emissions reduction initiatives at healthcare facilities in the Finger Lakes region and upgrades to wastewater treatment operations in Saratoga County aimed at reducing environmental impacts and producing renewable fuels.
NYSERDA said the awards are intended to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions while supporting regional economic development. The funding forms part of the 2025 REDC Initiative, under which regional councils review and score projects based on their alignment with local economic and development priorities.
Since 2018, NYSERDA said the Building Cleaner Communities Competition has supported 70 projects leveraging nearly $1.3 billion in public and private investment, while the Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge is expected to deliver cumulative emissions reductions of 7.2 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide.
