NY State Gets Ready To Buy Leaner And Greener

Paterson is set on cutting two billion from the budget in his soon to be released plan (E.T.A. Dec 16th) but what New York will spend should also be greener. The Office of General Services along with the Department of Environmental Conservation will be doing a lot more in the immediate future to make sure what the State purchases is better for our state and our environment.

From The Office of General Services:

The purchasing specifications are part of the state’s green procurement processes which are intended to boost energy efficiency and reduce air and water pollution, while helping public agencies make smart buying decisions. The specifications will help guide purchases of numerous commodities and services, including computers, copiers, printers, electronic signs, dishwashers and engine block heaters.

New York State government is a major consumer of materials and energy, and the establishment of procedures for the purchasing of green goods and services will help leverage its buying power. As part of this initiative, in September, OGS announced the savings of approximately $255 million on the purchase of environmentally-sustainable personal computers, which are now being made available to public entities throughout the state.

“New York’s actions are having a global impact,” said Commissioner Egan. “Every day OGS procurement professionals are measuring the market and seeking ways to aggregate the purchase of thousands of products by state and local government. Equally important is the notion that by working closely with top environmental stewards, we are ensuring that sustainability and conservation are included in the purchasing equation.”

There is a lot we can do on the individual level, but having conservation and better buys as a part of the state is a great way to show leadership and make a huge impact in the process. There is still a long way to go, but going greener is always a smart idea. Companies that want to do business with the state will be aware that going greener will help them to secure that vital contract, helping us all out in the end.

NY Shows Energy Conservation Can Be Easy

Not long ago oil was plentiful and cheap. Many Americans either had no clue or no care about conserving energy, whether it be for their cars or to keep their houses at a comfortable temperature. While oil prices may be down now, once the economy improves and consumption rises so will the price. Not only that, the environment is suffering at an increased rate due to our energy usage, so something must be done. Here in New York, efforts by the Office of General Services are making some headway.

From The Times Herald-Record:

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A New York official says energy consumption in government buildings is down 8.4 percent from last year.

Office of General Services Commissioner John Egan says turning off lights and turning down temperatures cut energy consumption in the more than 50 buildings and more than 19.5 million square feet of office space that OGS manages.

OGS is also using a Web-enabled advanced metering system to monitor electricity, water and natural gas use in buildings around the state. Egan says the system allows OGS to analyze where and how kilowatt hours are consumed so officials can come up with more efficient conservation methods.

Now this is great news for the fifty or so buildings that OGS operates. Unfortunately there are millions of buildings across the state and many more in the nation that do not have access to this technology. Green construction is starting to help but too many old buildings are not even close to being energy efficient. When the Governor calls the legislature to special session in a month's time, expanding OGS' services to property owners should be brought up. With the talk about tax hikes and spending cuts, one way to dramatically reduce the cost of energy in the state would be to spend some cash on this.