NYSERDA and Blueprint Power Announce $3 Million Award for Energy Management Technology that Enables Buildings to Provide Grid Flexibility

First-of-its-Kind Demonstration Project Expected to Expand Electric Vehicle Capacity in New York City

June 9, 2021

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Blueprint Power, a New York City-based technology company, announced today a $3 million award for a first-of-its-kind demonstration project showcasing energy management technology that could not only enable buildings to provide grid flexibility, but also help expand electric vehicle (EV) capacity in New York City. Today’s announcement supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s goal to transition the state to a zero emission power grid by 2040 as outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).

“NYSERDA is pleased to support this exciting project, which seeks to demonstrate the cost-effective and efficient integration of distributed energy resources into the grid with a focus on supporting increased electrification and EV use,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “Encouraging EV adoption and electrification in the State’s building stock are critical components of New York’s emissions reduction strategy as we work to advance Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading goal of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050.”

The Blueprint for LeFrak City project, located at a residential development in Corona, Queens, aims to demonstrate that by combining Blueprint’s coordinated management of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar, batteries, flexible loads and electric vehicle chargers with its demand responsiveness to load needs — the net burden on the grid can be reduced at peak times. The project will further work to demonstrate that the same amount of EV charging can be done with less infrastructure, reducing utility upgrade costs that can be a barrier to the installation of charging infrastructure.

“The infrastructure required to ready a site for EV charging is a significant cost driver and frequent roadblock for anyone who wants to offer EV charging on their property,” said Robyn Beavers, co-founder and CEO, Blueprint Power. “Blueprint is thrilled to demonstrate how the software platform we built to decarbonize buildings in a financially attractive way can simultaneously deliver cost-effective decarbonization of our city’s transportation fleets.”

“LeFrak has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and the future of New York City,” said Jamie LeFrak, Vice Chairman of the LeFrak Organization. “We’re honored to partner with Blueprint on this innovative initiative that will not only enhance our offerings to residents at LeFrak City, but also make a significant impact on creating a cleaner economy for our city.”

The demonstration project, funded through NYSERDA’s High Performing Grid program, seeks to show how networked buildings, onsite clean energy technologies and EV charging can help decarbonize buildings and transportation in New York City, while collecting data to analyze LeFrak City’s building loads to optimize solar, storage and EV charger installations. Blueprint has a target to install 150 EV chargers by 2025. The Blueprint network will use automation and machine learning to secure a reliable flow of energy and data to and from existing infrastructure, export any excess energy not consumed by the building loads to the utility, and ultimately decarbonize the built environment. The network optimizes solar energy, storage and charger use with the building loads to reduce utility bills while creating new revenue streams with demand response programs and energy exports for the asset owner.

Benefits that Blueprint Power seeks to provide through this project include:

• Increased percentage of energy from renewables in the state through the installation of more on-site clean DERs
• Promotion of EVs through decreased EV charger installation costs via reduced scope for utility-driven site upgrades and reduced EV operating costs
• Reduced strain on the local grid through Blueprint system coordination and optimization of DERs

NYSERDA administers the High Performing Grid Program, which seeks proposals from electric grid technology companies, New York's utilities, universities, and researchers, to advance smart grid technologies that promote the development of a high performing, smart electric grid that integrates a diverse supply of renewable energy resources, enhances overall grid performance, and enables customers to reduce their energy costs, consumption, and environmental impacts.

In addition, New York State’s $1 billion investment in electrifying New York’s transportation sector is vital to Governor Cuomo’s sweeping climate and clean energy plan. Growing access and availability to electric vehicles and clean transit while scaling the necessary infrastructure benefits all New Yorkers, including those in low-income or disadvantaged areas, by reducing carbon emissions to create cleaner air and healthier communities. Under a range of initiatives, including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, and Charge NY, the State is rapidly multiplying the number of charging stations to have at least 10,000 across New York by the end of 2021.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

Governor Cuomo's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $21 billion in 91 large-scale renewable projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 150,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2019, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

About NYSERDA

NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect the environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York State since 1975. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.

About LeFrak

LeFrak is a preeminent, family-owned property company committed to community development and long-term ownership. LeFrak affiliates own and manage an extensive portfolio of real property concentrated in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, as well as South Florida, Los Angeles and throughout the West Coast. Through its affiliated companies, LeFrak has developed and built the majority of its real estate portfolio and is one of the world’s leading property firms. The firm is acclaimed around the globe for the quality of its projects and its properties, its financial strength and conservatism, its entrepreneurial business model and its commitment to long term ownership. Although primarily focused on the residential and office sectors, LeFrak affiliates also invest in numerous hospitality and retail assets, securities, private businesses and energy. www.lefrak.com

About Blueprint Power

Founded in 2018, Blueprint Power is a NYC technology startup that has built proprietary software to transform real estate portfolios into much-needed sources of flexible power. Buildings connected to the Blueprint network have access to new energy marketplaces which deliver new financial returns and improved carbon performance. The Blueprint network uses automation and machine learning to secure a reliable flow of energy and data to and from existing infrastructure, trade that energy in the marketplace, and ultimately decarbonize the built environment. Blueprint’s customers include several of the largest landlords in New York city who are setting the bar for sustainability in real estate.