The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and local manufacturer Blackstone Advanced Technologies (BAT) have signed a “Flex Rate Agreement.” This contract is focused on providing a lower electric rate to high-usage industrial customers. The company is located on Blackstone Avenue in the City. The Flex Rate plan, also known as a Service Class (SC)-6 agreement, is an extension of a one-year pact executed originally for the 2024 calendar year. The company met all of the metrics required to maintain this flexible industrial rate, so the Jamestown BPU Board approved a three-year contract extension at its November meeting. The new three-year contract took effect on January 1, 2025, and expires on December 31, 2027. The BPU’s Flex Rate Program is an economic development tool used by the utility to assist local industrial companies. The program offers slightly reduced electric costs in exchange for a manufacturer’s pledge to invest in its local facility and workforce. Blackstone Advanced Technologies has demonstrated a strong record of annual capital investments. “This year, Blackstone Advanced Technologies has made significant capital investments totaling more than $2.9 million to enhance our manufacturing capabilities and sustainability initiatives,” stated President Heather Turner. According to Turner, these investments include the installation of a state-of-the-art Trumpf Laser, new ovens, a paint rack system, upgrades to the compressor system, and a Cincinnati Press Brake. “We also upgraded our Sciaky Spot Welder and added a Faro Arm/Probe to improve precision and efficiency,” continued Turner. “These upgrades, along with our commitment to sustainability demonstrated through the installation of EV chargers, better position us to serve our clients and deliver on agreements like the SC-6, driving success for both our company and our partners.” In addition, Turner mentioned that the company continues expanding its workforce and increasing the number of employees on the second shift. Blackstone Advanced Technologies is a sheet metal fabricator that makes components for military, transportation and industrial customers. Some of their largest customers are Wabtec, Mitsubishi, Vapor Stone Rail, General Dynamic and Saft Battery. "We are thrilled to extend the SC-6 agreement with BPU through 2027,” remarked Turner. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation, sustainability and mutual growth. We value the role BPU plays in helping us achieve operational excellence while meeting the needs of our community." “Blackstone Advanced Technologies first became eligible in 2023 for the SC-6 flexible electric rate for industrial customers,” added BPU General Manager David L. Leathers. “The company has more than met the metrics required to remain in the program. We are pleased to include Blackstone Advanced Technologies in this flex rate program for the next three years.” “As Mayor and BPU Board President, I am proud of the continued partnership between the BPU and Blackstone Advanced Technologies,” affirmed Jamestown City Mayor Kim Ecklund. “This renewed agreement reflects our shared commitment to fostering economic growth and supporting local industry. Blackstone’s significant investments in technology, sustainability and workforce development underscore their vital role in strengthening Jamestown’s economy and community.” “The flex rate allows companies such as Blackstone Advanced Technologies to continue manufacturing in our area while competing in a global marketplace,” concluded BPU Board Chair Gregory Anderson. “The program helps sustain the economic well-being of this industrial employer, whose meaningful dedication to enhancing efficiency and growing the workforce is a model to be admired.”
Two Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) engineers received first-hand experience with the Danish approach to thermal energy and district heating as they participated in a New York State (NYS) thermal energy delegation to Denmark hosted and funded by the Danish District Energy Advisory Board. BPU Deputy General Manager—Electric Kristofor Sellstrom and BPU Retool District Heat Manager Derek Johnson attended a four-day conference which involved representatives of New York State agencies, the New York Power Authority, colleges and other municipalities. The trip aimed to explore how Danish best practices and innovation in district heating can assist in New York’s pursuit of decarbonization in electric production. The BPU is progressing its Retool/District Heating initiative, a project that will expand and improve the utility’s District Heating system, established in 1984. The utility division currently serves 70 customers and more than 700 apartments. A two-year study by Ramboll Engineering suggested new methods for updating the BPU’s heating sources and recommended enlarging its customer base. As part of the Denmark summit, institutions such as the Danish Energy Agency, the State of Green Denmark, the Danish Board of District Heating and Energinet presented to the twenty New Yorkers invited to attend. The delegation included representatives of the New York Independent System Operator, the State University of New York, the State Construction Fund, the New York State Department of Public Service, the New York Power Authority, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the City Government of Mount Vernon and the Jamestown BPU. The program incorporated visits to facilities in Denmark, such as Aalborg University Copenhagen, the Greater Copenhagen Utility, Copenhill/Amager Bakke and Smorum Kraftvarme. Touring these locations exposed participants to the district heating system in Copenhagen, which supplies 99% of all Copenhagen buildings with district heating. Copenhill is a state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plant that is a Copenhagen landmark. This plant includes a rooftop ski slope, which showcases how industrial sites can be integrated into urban life while providing utility infrastructure. Smorum Kraftvarme is a consumer-owned district heating cooperative that produces heat from a solar thermal plant and air source heat pumps. The Taarnby Utility, just outside Copenhagen, exemplified a district energy system at a smaller municipal utility. Visiting the Taarnby Utility exposed the group to how smaller municipalities manage district heating operations and collaborate with larger utilities. Ramboll Energy, a key player in developing district energy systems worldwide, also presented to the delegation. Ramboll Managing Director Hannes Reuter offered insights into the company’s approach to designing and engineering sustainable energy solutions, including thermal energy networks. Sellstrom noted that he was inspired by the prospect of applying the Danish approach to Jamestown’s district heating system. “Denmark’s comprehensive focus on meeting the energy needs of its communities and their economy illustrates how community thermal energy networks could support New York’s decarbonization,” said Sellstrom. “Their systems utilize solar, large-scale thermal storage, waste to energy, waste heat recovery and the use of industrial heat pumps, technologies we could use here to retool our own District Heating Division.” The BPU’s Derek Johnson commented that the systems in Denmark are of a similar age to Jamestown. “The Danish are finding that steel pipe installed in the same time frame as ours is in good shape when excavated, except where insulation is compromised,” said Johnson. “We found that encouraging.” “They have some innovations we are evaluating for our system here in Jamestown,” continued Johnson. “Denmark is using heat transfer from their wastewater treatment plants, one method suggested for our Retool/District Heat initiative.” “Their systems serve residential, industrial and commercial customers in Denmark,” stated Johnson. “They have pre-packaged heat and hot water units for smaller customers and store hot water in tanks and manmade covered ponds for peak heating periods.” “Their thermal energy networks provide a more reliable and resilient energy system than electricity alone could,” added Sellstrom. “Their techniques leverage low-cost, long-duration and scalable thermal energy storage which they have deployed at scale at an order of magnitude lower cost than current electric storage options with no harmful byproducts or mining needs. They simply leverage large hot water tanks/reservoirs and use that thermal energy to provide long-duration energy security for their communities.” BPU General Manager David L. Leathers expressed appreciation for the opportunity provided to the BPU by the government of Denmark to educate the BPU engineers about that country’s thermal energy and district heating systems. “As we work to improve and expand our District Heating system and customer base,” detailed Leathers, “it was a perfect time for our engineers to be hosted by the country of Denmark, along with other representatives of other New York State utilities and agencies.” “Jamestown’s District Heating system, which has existed since the early 1980s, is of special interest, particularly to New York State, in that we already have a fully operational project that can be improved upon to meet the State’s goals for green energy projects,” concluded Leathers.
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) John Alfred and Oscar Johnson Memorial Trust/BPU Good Neighbor Fund helped fifty-four households from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, in the fund’s calendar year. Since 2011, the fund has distributed $156,642.75 to customers in need. The Johnson/BPU Good Neighbor Fund is intended to assist customers with BPU bills, should sudden troubles prevent them from paying utilities on time. Customers who pay BPU bills regularly, who receive no social services assistance for utility bills and who experience a sudden hardship may be eligible for help through the fund. Customers on Social Security, Food Stamps and HEAP may qualify. Aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Available dollars from the fund could be depleted at any time and assistance would not be available. The fund is open to all income levels. Customers who believe they may qualify should contact the Salvation Army in Jamestown at 716-664-4108 to make an appointment. The Salvation Army will verify the hardship and then contact the BPU to validate the payment history. The process is quick and easy.
Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Business Development Coordinator Ellen Ditonto outlined the success of the Retool WNY Initiative in a panel discussion on “Climate Tech Innovation and Manufacturing in New York State” as part of the New York State Innovation Summit held recently in Syracuse. The conference was sponsored by FuzeHub and New York State Division of Science, Technology and Innovation.
APRIL 19TH-21ST, 2022