For Release:          Immediate – November 19, 2015

Contact:                 Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

 (518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

Albany, NY – As institutions of higher education, we applaud the monumental progress already made to promote clean energy and climate action as we seek a comprehensive, ambitious agreement at the upcoming United Nations Climate Negotiations in Paris. Although we are optimistic that world leaders will reach an agreement to secure a transition to a low-carbon future, we recognize the urgent need to act now to avoid irreversible costs to our global community’s economic prosperity and public health. Today our school pledges to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient practices across our campuses.

SUNY POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE PLEDGES THE FOLLOWING: SUNY Polytechnic Institute is a leader in the research, development, and commercialization of next generation green energy technologies. This includes serving as the managing partner of the $300M national Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC) and the lead partner on behalf of the State of New York with SolarCity in the construction in Buffalo of the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere.

In New York, strong leadership and targeted investments by Governor Andrew Cuomo allow for ingenuity and innovation to be leveraged into the growth of a green energy eco-system across the state with the duel benefit of creating good-paying jobs and driving a meaningful reduction in the nation’s carbon footprint.

Building on our tradition of green energy research and strategic partnerships across industry and government, SUNY Polytechnic Institute pledges the following:

• Full deployment in 2016 of SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s $191M state-of-the-art Zero Energy Nanotechnology (ZEN) Building as a platform to demonstrate clean and renewable energy systems that can be applied to buildings elsewhere. The building will be a showcase for energy efficiency and will be used regularly as an educational tool for K-12 students and the public.
• Using proven building design innovations learned from ZEN and applying them to student housing now under development to ensure maximum energy efficiency with radical reductions in emissions, water use, and cost.
• Expand SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s job training partnerships with industry and academia – with a strong focus on Community Colleges - across New York to meet the workforce needs of green energy companies to drive continued growth.
• Dedicated research through PVMC in collaboration with industry to drive breakthrough technological advances that will make solar and other green energy sources subsidy-free with costs on par or surpassing traditional power generation.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.