ITHACA — The second phase of a study on combined heat and power and an energy district for the greater downtown Ithaca area is moving closer to completion.
Energize Ithaca, LLC, a group formed in 2011 to develop energy solutions for Ithaca and its business community, is working with partners to research and recommend ways Ithaca can use distributed energy and combined heat and power systems to create a downtown energy district.
The U.S. Department of Energy is providing technical assistance to help complete the study’s second phase, according to Energize Ithaca.
“Every day at the Downtown Ithaca Alliance we work to make downtown a more desirable and competitive place for growth and investment,” Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said in a news release. “We see district energy and a combined heating and power program as a key tool for making downtown a more attractive place for people to invest, develop, work, and live.”
Combined heat and power most commonly uses a gas turbine with a heat recovery unit or steam boiler with a steam turbine, according to Energize Ithaca.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com