New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced low-cost power awards to 11 firms that her office said will spur more than $5.2 billion in capital investments.
The awards, approved by the New York Power Authority Board of Trustees, support 5,781 jobs throughout the state. In addition, two funding awards, totaling more than $1 million, were awarded to two firms in Western New York.
ReCharge NY
The approved allocations of nearly 32 megawatts of low-cost power under the ReCharge NY program will be directed to nine companies in the Capital District, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Hudson Valley, New York City and on Long Island.
First announced by Hochul in May 2023, fairlife, a producer of milk and protein shakes, is investing $650 million to construct a 745,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Monroe County to produce milk beverages in the Town of Webster that will lead to the creation of up to 250 jobs.
Empire State Development is additionally providing up to $21 million in assistance for the project through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for the job creation commitments.
Also included among the ReCharge NY awards was a 15 MW power allocation to GlobalFoundries, a Saratoga County-based semiconductor manufacturer, to expand its existing Fab 8 manufacturing site and then build a new, 358,000 square-foot semiconductor manufacturing facility on its campus in Malta as part of a nearly 2 million square-foot expansion, tripling its capacity to meet growing demand for chips.
The NYPA board also approved an additional 90 MW of High Load Factor power that NYPA will procure for GlobalFoundries on the energy market. In March, Hochul announced GlobalFoundries’ $11.6 billion investment to expand its Saratoga County manufacturing plant.
ReCharge NY offers power contracts with terms up to seven years. Half of the power -- 455 MW -- is from NYPA’s Niagara and St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt hydroelectric power plants. The remaining 455 MW is lower-cost power bought by NYPA on the wholesale market.
A full list of the ReCharge NY power allocations and economic development awards is available here.
Western New York Hydropower
At its March 26 meeting, the NYPA Board of Trustees approved low-cost Niagara hydropower allocations to Buffalo Games and Mayer Brothers.
Buffalo Games, an Erie County manufacturer of jigsaw puzzles and board games, was awarded 750 kilowatts of low-cost Niagara hydropower by the NYPA board to support the firm’s $6.5 million expansion project.
Buffalo Games is upgrading its manufacturing capabilities, warehousing and distribution infrastructure, and power service. The expansion is expected to increase its jigsaw puzzle production by more than six million units annually and create 95 jobs.
Empire State Development is incentivizing Buffalo Games’ continued growth in Erie County by providing up to $1 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits in exchange for job creation commitments. In addition, Buffalo Games also received a $105,000 economic development grant from National Grid.
The NYPA trustees also approved a 210-kW Niagara hydropower allocation to Mayer Brothers for a more than $1.5 million expansion project.
Mayer Brothers is a manufacturer, processor, and distributor of apple juice, cider, water and other beverage products.
The firm, established in 1852, will construct a new building to produce bottles used in the cider and water sectors of its operation. The building will house additional equipment and machinery related to its bottling operations, accommodating an increase in the output of bottles, and allowing the company to produce beverages in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. The expansion project will support nearly 300 jobs, with six being newly created.
Low-cost Niagara hydropower is available for companies within a 30-mile radius of the Power Authority's Niagara Power Project or businesses in Chautauqua County.
The NYPA board also approved more than $1 million in funding awards from the Western New York Power Proceeds Fund to the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center and Irish Welding in Erie County.
The Niagara Arts & Cultural Center, a non-profit organization that houses work from more than 100 artists and is comprised of three theaters, a radio station, a public classroom space, and two public and numerous private galleries, was awarded $1 million of Power Proceeds funding to support an $8.5 million restoration project.
The project will upgrade the facility’s Legacy Theatre, associated restrooms and energy infrastructure, including upgrading the facility’s HVAC system. The project is also being supported by a $4 million capital grant from the Regional Economic Community Assistance Program, which is managed by ESD.
The NYPA board also approved an $87,000 funding award to Irish Welding, a Buffalo-based, family-owned company that distributes carbonic supplies and gases, and soft drink syrup and juice products in Western New York. The funds will be used by the firm to undertake a nearly $437,000 project to construct a new water line. Irish Welding currently receives its water from an old, 3,000-foot line often subjected to railroad traffic vibration that has caused leaks. The project will allow the company to remain at its current location, supporting 83 jobs.
NYPA funding awards are made possible through net earnings resulting from the sale of unused hydropower generated at the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project and stems from power proceeds legislation signed into law in 2012.
