New York’s approach to decarbonizing our buildings should be centered around family-sustaining jobs, equitable access to clean energy, and scalable and replicable solutions. Thermal energy networks are a key component of this approach.

Thermal energy networks are emissions-free infrastructure projects that use a shared network of underground water pipes to transfer heat in and out of multiple buildings. By moving clean energy into and out of buildings and utilizing thermal energy found in the local natural and built environment, thermal energy networks enable energy-efficient renewable heating and cooling at a neighborhood scale. 

The legislature can demonstrate New York’s commitment to reducing climate pollution with a diverse and growing union workforce by authorizing funding for thermal energy networks at two State-owned campuses, catalyzing the necessary work to fully decarbonize State-owned campuses and facilities while advancing New York’s’ climate action goals. 

UpgradeNY urges the New York State Assembly, Senate, and Governor to support union-led building decarbonization by including the following priorities in the budget: 

• Fund a thermal energy network at SUNY Purchase. $40 million would allow Purchase College, State University of New York to engineer and construct an emissions-free heating and cooling thermal network on their campus.

• Fund a thermal energy network at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. $50 million would allow the University at Buffalo, State University of New York to begin construction of an emissions-free heating and cooling network on the South campus as outlined in their Clean Energy Master Plan

Purchase College:

• Purchase College would be able to reduce over 65% of its greenhouse gas emissions from the more than 45 buildings on its campus if a thermal energy network were developed to provide clean and reliable heating and cooling throughout the year for the campus. 

• Provide students with a more comfortable learning environment, and visitors to the college’s world renowned conservatories and Performance Arts Center and Museum with an improved experience. 

• Catalyze decarbonization of the surrounding area:

• In 2023, the college partnered with Centrica Business Solutions and CHA Consulting to respond to Con Edison’s Utility Thermal Energy Network Pilot Projects RFI. ConEd ultimately chose other projects in its first round submissions to the Public Service Commision. 

• However, if additional funding is provided through the Public Service Commission, the College and ConEd would be able to advance this project, and expand this thermal energy network to provide clean heating and cooling to not only the college but also surrounding facilities, including the Westchester County Airport and PepsiCo International Headquarters. 

• Purchase’s campus is a living laboratory of sustainable projects. With this appropriation, this project can help make Purchase a model for achieving the goals of the CLCPA and Executive Order 22, which directs State agencies to adopt a sustainability and decarbonization program. 

• Capital need for phase 1 implementation: $40 million

The University at Buffalo:

• UB, long recognized as a higher education leader on sustainability, is now turning its attention to one of the biggest challenges: electrifying the campus and decarbonizing its heating source (which accounts for around 30% of its carbon footprint) via a thermal energy network. 

• The University recently completed its Clean Energy Master Plan for the South Campus, which creates a detailed blueprint of how 67 buildings will be adapted, the campus thermal network that will be created, and the funding and training needed to make it happen.  

• The South Campus (or Main Street Campus) is situated in a residential neighborhood in North Buffalo identified as a disadvantaged community under the Climate Act. The 153-acre parcel is home to the schools of Architecture and Planning, Dental Medicine, Public Health and Health Professions, Nursing, and soon the Graduate School of Education. 

• A thermal energy network would replace the natural gas fired heating at the MacKay central heating facility which is the largest source of Scope 1 Greenhouse Gas (GHG)(1) emissions at UB, and is connected to campus buildings through an outdated network of steam pipes that will require upgrades over the next 20 years independent of this transition.

• The South Campus comprises 46 Buildings totaling more than 2.8 million square feet with an annual energy cost of more than $3.8 Million. 

• Decarbonizing the campus heating through a thermal energy network would cost effectively implement sustainable improvements, aligned with campus planning, that maximize the life cycle cost value to the University.

• A thermal energy network at UB will: 

  • Provide a solution for a carbon neutral campus

  • Meet UB’s sustainability goals and achieve early compliance with New York State law

  • Lead to near term energy savings

  • Electrify heating systems on the South Campus

• A key benefit of a thermal energy network as compared to other decarbonization strategies for the campus is its efficiency. It would: 

• Reduce energy usage by 30% for the South Campus

• Provide heating within the existing electrical capacity of the campus’s electrical service.

• Use far less overall energy compared to an electric resistance system and operate at a lower energy cost.

• Require less renewable energy to offset the electrical energy usage of the system.

• Capital need for Phase I Implementation: $50 million

Building on New York’s Leadership

Governor Hochul and the State Legislature have already taken strong steps to achieve the ambitious climate goals set in the CLCPA through the passage of the 2022 Utility Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act and Executive Order No. 22. Last year, the Budget provided $30 million for SUNY University at Albany as part of the adopted budget to replace two fossil-fuel-fired chillers with a high efficiency electric chiller and a heat recovery/heat pump chiller. Funding thermal energy networks at SUNY Purchase and SUNY Buffalo would build on this success, and would advance implementation of the Clean Energy Master Plans for these campuses while laying the framework for a decarbonized SUNY.

A Labor-led Coalition Supporting a Just, Equitable Transition

UpgradeNY is a collaboration of unions, environmental justice advocates, building industry representatives and environmental groups calling for a healthier, more climate resilient New York through upgrading State-owned buildings and schools to have zero on-site emissions and creating a pipeline to a clean energy workforce. The State’s commitment to and investment in Thermal Energy Networks will create a pipeline of work, and therefore family-sustaining, union careers. By funding the work for shovel-ready projects, and utilizing project labor agreements, you will be sending a signal that the highly trained and competent workforces represented by unions across New York will be included as part of our state's climate agenda. This proposal bridges the gap between the State’s work to make long-term commitments and the need to deliver workforce opportunities and climate benefits immediately - setting the standard for a clean energy union workforce that can fully decarbonize our buildings today and tomorrow.