NYS Is The Home of Renewable Energy Projects

An expected doubling of per-acre corn productivity for ethanol in the next few years, which would mean using 15 percent of the corn crop, would cut the 124 billion gallons of gas made from imported oil that we use each year by 10 percent. That’s a savings of $37.2 billion at $3 a gallon, $49.6 billion at $4 a gallon. The RiverWright plant in Buffalo will be one of 200 producing about 12 billion gallons of ethanol annually, saving an equivalent amount of $100-plus barrels of imported oil.

Greg Stevens, President and CEO of RiverWright, LLC., answered TURKOFAMERICA’s questions about his energy project.

Could you tell us about your the RiverWright plant in Buffalo? Why did you prefer to invest in Buffalo?  
RiverWright acquired the abandoned grain elevators in Buffalo, and is redeveloping them as a Green Energy Industrial park.  Buffalo was the number one grain port in North American back in the days when we moved massive quantities by boat and train from the farms to the big cities in the North East, and beyond to Russia.   

What were Buffalo's advantages for investment?   
Buffalo has the massive infrastructure to move large quantities of biomass into an industrial are for processing to green energy.

Can you explain the future of renewable energy and what an energy corridor means to Buffalo? How would it contribute to Buffalo’s economy?
It is clear that Americans cannot continue importing oil and must diversify our energy sources.  Oil is still inexpensive, but it will not stay this way, and there is a real commitment to develop sustainable, renewable energy.  Even though today’s technologies are crude and costs are high, they are being developed to prepare the market for larger scale renewable technologies of the future.  This is an exciting time and Buffalo has unique infrastructure on the lake and main line rail, with lots of available brown field real estate.  This is why we have the first urban wind farm in the country, with much more to follow.

Wasn’t making an investment under the current circumstances a big risk? How long will it take you to regain your investment?
Risk is high in any new technology sector, but so are the rewards.  This is the new “dot.com” boom and we are at the front end.  But there are also lots of secondary plays that are less risky, in land, in services, in components.

What if some Turkish investors were interested in the Buffalo energy corridor? What would be your suggestions?  
Come visit us.  We are friendly and open to new investors.  We will help you find the right opportunity.  

What type of investment is possible in the region beside energy?  
Grain and food processing investments are possible. American farmers are the most productive in the world, and the world needs food as badly as it needs energy and water.  Buffalo has large tracts of land and factories zoned for food processing, and can ship to 60% of North America, including Canada, in a one day truck ride, as well as export.

Can investors benefits from tax exemptions, grants and intensives?  
Yes, especially for renewable energy.

Anything you would like to add?
It was a pleasure meeting you and remembering my pleasant days in Istanbul.
 
RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANIES IN NEW YORK STATE*
The western half of New York State has a rich history and vibrant present in renewable energy. Today western New York companies large and small are creating new technologies, products, and services to create fuels, systems, and components to generate energy from renewable sources. The Renewable Energy Network of Entrepreneurs in Western New York, or RENEW NY, is helping young (< 5 years old) companies work through the challenges in commercializing renewable energy products and services.

BIO FUELS
Blue Sky Optimum Energy, of Buffalo, NY offers a processing system that can produce wholesale Biodiesel at $1.10/gallon, comparable to current wholesale Diesel fuel prices of $1.10-1.30/gallon.  

Empire Biofuels, a farmers cooperative LLC, plans to build a 50 million gallons/year corn to ethanol facility in Romulus, N.Y.  
 
McGraw Mechanical Inc., located in Lockport, NY, specializes in geothermal and HVAC design and installation.  (mcgrawmechanical.com)

Mesa Reduction of Auburn, NY has developed patented size reduction, harvesting, conveying, and storage systems to handle a wide range of materials.  (mesareduction.com)

NextGen Fuel has patent-pending, biofuel technology based on new approaches to chemical processing that are generally referred to as chemical process intensification.  (nextgenfuel.com)

Northeast Biofuels in Fulton, NY is building a plant to produce 100 million gallons of ethanol per year.  Northeast Biofuels will have the 3rd largest plant in the nation, and will be the first plant in NYS and the northeast. (esf.edu/energycenter/bioproeng/default.htm)

Northern Biodiesel is an Ontario, NY startup company providing biodiesel to a distributor as well as government and private sector fleets in the greater Rochester, NY area. (northernbiodiesel.com)

Renewable Alternative Fuel Systems in West Bloomfield sells a line of Wood, Corn, and Switchgrass Boilers and pellet fuels for heating.
 
United Environment & Energy, LLC is a research and development organization in Orchard Park, NY that is working on a heterogeneous catalyst to produce viable, cost-competitive biodiesel fuel. (unitedee.com)

Western New York Energy is engaged in construction of a 50 million gallon/year ethanol plant in Shelby, NY. (wnyenergy.com)

Geothermal Caster Drilling Enterprises, LLC is a fourth-generation drilling company that specializes in the design and complete installation of geothermal systems throughout NY and PA for residential and commercial customers. (casterdrilling.com)
 
e-vanhee of Rochester, NY is a full design, install and service company specializing in geothermal and solar hydronic heating and cooling systems, key to a zero net-energy building strategy. (vanheeheating.com)

Phoenix Geothermal Services, Auburn, NY is a designer, developer, and reseller of geothermal heating systems.  (phoenixenergysupply.com)

SOLAR TECHNOLOGY & INSTALLERS
Canrom Photovoltaics in Niagara Falls, NY is a manufacturer of solar cells, systems, and related products for home, industrial, and custom uses. (Canrom.com)

Conserval with an office in Buffalo, NY provides thermal heating products, an efficient way to solar heat large buildings.  (SolarWall.com)

National Solar Technologies of Depew, NY develops and manufactures innovative off-the-shelf and custom products for solar/wind energy power sources and solar lighting systems.  (NationalSolarOnline.com)

Performance Systems Contracting in Ithaca, NY provides a wide range of installation services to residential customers. (pscontracting.com)

Prime Energy Solutions in Scipio Center, NY designs and installs solar PV, solar thermal, wind and other renewable energy systems.  (Prime-NRG.com )
 
Quality Solar Concepts of Brockport, NY provides solar products including solar street lighting and other renewable energy products with a national marketing focus. (solar4me.com)

Renovus Energy in Ithaca, NY is an installer of wind and photovoltaic electric and solar heating systems for home, industrial, and government.  (renovusenergy.com)

Rochester Solar Technologies of Rochester, NY sells, installs, repairs, and maintains solar systems in New York and southern Ontario, Canada. (SolarRochester.com)

Rochester Solar & Wind LLC of Rochester, NY sells, installs, repairs, and maintains solar and systems in the Rochester area. (RochesterSolarandWind.com)

Solar Sentry Corp. in Pittsford, NY is a startup company developing a monitoring system to pinpoint operating problems in solar photovoltaic systems and report them over the internet for appropriate dispatch of service personnel. (SolarSentry.com)

Solar & Wind FX Inc. is located in Bristol Center with an Off-Grid Renewable Energy Design and Training Center. (solarandwindfx.com)

Syracuse Solar & Wind LLC of Syracuse, NY sells, installs, repairs, and maintains solar and systems in the Syracuse area. (SyracuseSolarandWind.com)

Wakonda Technologies Inc. of Fairport, NY is developing solar cells and modules that enable the low cost production of high efficiency of III-V semiconductor photovoltaics. (WakondaTech.com)

WIND ENERGY
Lake Effect Energy in Buffalo, NY develops responsible and commercially viable wind power projects in western New York. (lakeeffectenergy.com)

Lorax Energy Systems in Webster, NY is the North American distributor for the Fuhrländer Wind Turbine Company which builds state-of-the-art wind turbines in 30, 100, 250, 800, 1000 and 1250 kW sizes. (lorax-energy.com)

Sustainable Energy Development of Ontario, NY is a reseller and developer of wind energy systems. (sed-net.com)

FUEL CELLS AND COMPONENTS
Advance Fuel Cell Systems in Amherst, NY has an application focus on dependable, green electric power and heat energy for niche stationary and mobile needs. (afcs.us)

ENrG Inc. of Buffalo, NY is focused on the development and manufacture of ceramic components for solid oxide fuel cell systems. (enrg-inc.com)

NanoDynamics, Inc's Energy division of Buffalo, NY is focused on products, devices, and systems for the portable power and energy generation markets. (nanodynamics.biz/ndenergy.asp) (*Source: renew-ny.org)