In this month’s edition of the G/FL Economic Recovery Series, we are featuring regional successes and funding opportunities, a NYS broadband survey, and regional training opportunities!
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NYS announces AIM Photonics Awarded $312 million
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New Round of Funding will Enable Next Stage of Development for Critical Defense Applications and Other Advanced Capabilities
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the American Institute of Manufacturing Photonics has secured a new seven-year cooperative agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, which includes support totaling more than $321 million.
The funding includes $165 million awarded by AFRL on behalf of U.S. Department of Defense and $156 million from other sources, including more than $60 million previously awarded from New York State as part of a $250 million commitment to establish the institute, contributions from participating companies, colleges and universities, and other state governments. The funds will be used to help ensure the manufacturing readiness of advanced photonics, a technology that is essential to national security and critical to the future of high-performance microelectronics.
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USDA ReConnect Grant FY2022 Information
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ReConnect Program Webinars FY2022
Interested to learn more about our Rural Development ReConnect Program? USDA will host four webinars covering the ReConnect Program Regulation and the recently announced ReConnect Program FY2022 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).
ReConnect Program Regulation Webinar
We will present this webinar twice. The second presentation will provide the same information as the first one; no new information will be added to the second session. Please register for the session that's most convenient for you.
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern
ReConnect Program FY2022 FOA Webinar
We will present this information twice. The second presentation will provide the same information as the first one; no new information will be added to the second session. Please register for the session that's most convenient for you.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern
Thursday, November 18, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern
Slides, a transcript, and a recording of each webinar will be posted on the ReConnect website after each session. You can also find registration links at the events page on the ReConnect website.
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The Greater Rochester Health Foundation Call for Ideas is now open!
Through issuing this Call for Ideas, we are looking to advance our efforts in innovative, partnered work that reimagines systems, programs, and services to disrupt inequities and rebuild stronger, healthier communities. A central focus of Call for Ideas is to respond to community needs and inequities central to or worsened by the twin pandemics and support the path to rebuilding and reimagining systems in more equitable ways.
We understand that only 20% of health occurs in the medical setting. The other 80% is influenced –often negatively– by systems and policies that create inequities, neighborhoods that lack needed resources, and power imbalances that prevent communities from having control of their own health. We also know that there are leaders and community members working on the ground to achieve change in these areas, but many are untapped and/or under-resourced. Together, we can change that!
Browse the website to learn more about this Responsive grant opportunity and how to apply. Proposals are due by 6 p.m. on December 3, 2021.
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Still time to register for the final Fall Local Government Workshop sessions!
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Fall Local Government Workshop Update Including a JUST ADDED SPECIAL SESSION
There’s still time to register for the final two THREE sessions of the Fall Local Government Workshop (LGW). Please make sure to check out our just-added short documentary and discussion on the Life of Gordon Granger, Wayne County native and Civil War General.
Session 13. Advancing Community-Level Resilience 3: Adopting Local Models of Flood Resiliency and Barriers to Implementation
Nov 9 2-4PM (REGISTRATION CLOSES 1PM Nov 9)
Join experts from G/FLRPC and NYS Dept. of State to learn about policy tools and options that can increase your community resiliency, including model laws and guidance established by the Community Risk and Resiliency Act (CRRA). You will also have the opportunity to discuss the barriers and challenges your community has faced, or will face, in adopting these strategies, as well as a chance to brainstorm new opportunities.
NEWLY ADDED SPECIAL SESSION 15. General Gordon Granger: the Savior of Chickamauga and the Man Behind Juneteenth
Nov 9 5-5:45PM (REGISTRATION CLOSES 4PM Nov 9)
Learn about the life of Civil War General and Wayne County native Gordon Granger, the man behind Juneteenth. Zoom documentary and discussion with the Town of Sodus Historian and Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council staff. Nov 9, 5PM.
Session 14. Affordable Clean Energy for Your Community: Demystifying Community Choice Aggregation
Nov 10 noon-2PM (REGISTRATION CLOSES 11AM Nov 10)
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), also known as municipal aggregation, allows local governments to procure power from an alternative supplier while still maintaining distribution service from their existing utility. CCAs are an attractive option for communities that want more local control over their electricity sources, more green power than is offered by the default utility, and/or lower electricity prices. G/FLRPC staff and municipal representatives will present and answer questions to demystify the CCA Process and offer guidance on how other municipalities can take this massive step towards reducing their carbon footprint.
To date, the Fall LGW has had 12 sessions totaling 18 hours of training attended by nearly 200 local government officials, staff, interested citizens, planning and related professionals and many others.
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HeatSmart can help save you money and have a more comfortable home! Opportunities below.
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The HeatSmart Finger Lakes North campaign is a NYSERDA funded project aimed at getting homes and businesses across the Finger Lakes to consider heat pumps and weatherization technologies. HeatSmart FLX North is focused on Genesee, Ontario, Orleans and Wayne counties. The campaign will help you save money, be comfortable in your home year-round, improve your indoor air quality and reduce GHG emissions and carbon monoxide released into your home.
To learn more please join us on November 15th at 5:30pm for an upcoming webinar or listen to one of our past sessions.
To schedule a free home energy audit or to learn more about the program reach out to Jenny Loewenstein by email or call (585)474-0190 x15
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Upcoming HeatSmart Session in Lodi!
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New York State Broadband Assessment Program
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Please continue promoting your community members to participate by filling out this brief survey.
This online survey is an interactive tool which community members can access in a host of manners ranging from computers, tablets, cell phones, and, if applicable due to lack of broadband, hard copy.
The survey documents issues with respect to availability, as well as adoption, and enables communities to better understand broadband issues from the resident's perspective. Is broadband available? Do they use it? If not, why? In general, is broadband in the community effective at meeting the needs of the community?
For those with internet access, the survey will allow them to submit the results of internet speed tests to further document the actual availability of service (and not just the claims of availability made by service providers.) This interactive methodology generates statistically valid information which is also overlaid into the GIS program for accuracy.
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Clean Energy Communities Corner
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- Reminder: Code Enforcement Training on Monday November 15th in Penfield
- Keep your eye out on our social media sites (Facebook and Linkedin) for more Clean Energy community spotlights!
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Village of Lima Adopts NYStretch Code, Community Choice Aggregation, hits CEC Milestone
Back in April, The Village of Lima Adopted became the first community in the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region to Adopt the NYStretch Energy Code. In June, the Village entered a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Agreement. The choice to adopt NYStretch & CCA helped the Village become the first community outside of the Hudson Valley to surpass 4,000 points in the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities (CEC) Program.
A stretch energy code is simply an energy code that is more stringent than New York State’s base energy code that can be adopted by local jurisdictions. The NYStretch Code is a model, voluntary, locally adoptable stretch code that saves more energy than the forthcoming 2020 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (2020 ECCCNYS). The decision to adopt NYStretch will make buildings 11% more energy-efficient, and further reduce the community’s GHG Emissions.
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) allows residents & local elected officials to choose where the energy comes from for their community. It’s a program to purchase power in bulk for virtually all homes and small businesses within the participating jurisdiction. A CCA can allow whole communities to participate in the clean energy economy by ensuring that a greater percentage of electricity is coming from renewable sources. CCA has the potential to simultaneously deliver fixed-rate electricity prices and cleaner energy for your community.
With the adoption of NYStretch Code & CCA, the Village added 2,700 points to the 1,800 it already had and became the first community outside of the Hudson Valley to hit the 4,000-point milestone with 4,500 points. In addition to a $5,000 action grant for adopting NYStretch, the Village will earn a $20,000 grant for surpassing 4,000 points and has a clear path to another $70,000 by surpassing 5,000 points.
The Village plans to use these funds to add additional EV charging stations in the Village and to install critical sidewalk sections in the Village that will create continuous sidewalk routes in the Village to promote walking decrease motor vehicle use.
If you’re interested in starting CEC, Contact your CEC Coordinator.
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