Renewables

In Drum Country, green solutions like wind, solar and hydro-electric have all become powerful sources of energy. But Drum Country is rich in another kind of energy source: the power generated by business, economic development, University R&D and state government working together. The resources, the workforce, the location: it’s all here. Drum Country is abundant in key natural resources that are aligned with many current and forward-leaning green technologies. Cooperative efforts between business and educational institutions are creating a ready workforce and Drum Country is also home to many alternative and renewable energy businesses as the heart of "Energy Valley".

Business Incentives:

Helping Renewable Businesses Profit

Whether you are a start up or expanding business, Drum Country can help you access the following types of incentives:

• Workforce training programs
• Real property tax and investment incentives
• Energy and power discount programs
• Grants and low interest loan programs

The Company We Keep: Leaders in Green Technology

In the last five years, Drum Country has become home to a crop of new companies that have started up around green technologies like biomass, hydro and solar energy. Existing companies, such as Kraft, have adopted new technologies like anaerobic digesters that harvest biogas from their waste milk and whey. That biogas is then burned in the plant in natural gas boilers that have been modified to burn biogas. Other companies, in the foreground and on the horizon, include:

Biomass Conversion

ZeroPoint Clean Tech produces systems that convert renewable woody biomass, including wood chips and other agricultural wastes, into electricity and heat. The technology was developed at Clarkson University, located in the heart of Drum Country, and the company received $1 million of its $11 million in investments from the Seaway Private Equity Corp.

Methane to Electricity

In October 2008, Innovative Energy Systems began generating electricity at the Development Authority of the North Country’s Solid Waste Management Facility. Using three (soon four) 1.6MW generators, the plant converts methane into electricity--enough electricity to power over 3,000 homes. The gas-to-energy project was the first carbon reduction project outside California to earn carbon credits.

Wind Farms

Horizon Wind operates three wind farms in the region, generating a total of over 300 MW. Additional wind farm projects proposed in the region include Roaring Brook, and the Galloo Island Wind Farms.

Hyrdo Power

Drum Country is home to the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. Located on the St. Lawrence River, the generating station can produce more than 900,000 KW of electricity.  In addition, the region’s abundant waterways host an additional 63 hydro projects.

Workforce Development in the Energy Valley

Drum Country is part of a five-county region that has been dubbed New York State’s "Energy Valley" -and with good reason. The regional effort of businesses, government and education working in concert makes Drum Country a prime location for companies and industries dedicated to alternative and renewable energy sources.

Educational facilities have adopted a comprehensive "green-think" mentality and are creating programs to train an alternative and renewable energy workforce:

• SUNY Canton: Started a renewable energy technology curriculum to support workforce development in alternative and renewable energy systems.
• SUNY Jefferson Community College: Hired a coordinator for Energy Programs and offers a Renewable Energy Management Certificate Program. 
• The Workforce Development Institute: The local trade unions have developed a depth of expertise in wind turbine installation and maintenance from their involvement in large-scale wind projects.
• Clarkson University: Home to The Institute for a Sustainable Environment which fosters collaboration among faculty, students and partners to put themselves at the forefront of change and creating sustainable systems across the globe.