Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA COUNTY —The Saratoga Regional YMCA may be more than 150 years old, but its commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship is very much rooted in the realities of 2021. The organization recently enrolled in the Nexamp community solar program, subscribing to a solar farm in Pendleton, NY and offsetting up to 90% of its annual electricity usage, generating valuable savings that enable more programming and services across its multiple locations. 

With a 900kW subscription, Saratoga Regional YMCA will save up to $13,500 each year through the discounted rate it pays for community solar credits applied to its National Grid bills, realizing more than a quarter million dollars in savings over the course of the contract. Community solar farms generate clean energy that is fed directly to the grid, earning credits that are allocated across the subscriber base and billed at a fixed discount to create customer savings. 

“We support more than 25,000 members in the region, offering a wide variety of service focused on overall wellness for families and individuals of all ages,” noted John Pecora, CFO, Saratoga Regional YMCA. “As part of our mission, we recognize the importance of a healthy environment and the role of clean energy in making that possible. Enrolling in a community solar program provides us with the dual benefit of saving money that makes our budget go further while also participating in the growth of much-needed clean energy on the grid.” 

Four of the five Saratoga Regional YMCA buildings will receive credits through the program. The 6 MW community solar farm in Pendleton, like the dozens of other solar farms in New York and hundreds of solar farms across the country owned and operated by Nexamp, serves both commercial and residential customers. 

“Just as the YMCA serves all residents without discrimination, community solar is making the benefits of clean energy accessible to all,” said David Wells, Nexamp Director of Community Solar in New York. “We’ve seen that as more and more non-profits learn about the advantages of the program and how easy it is to get started, they realize how well it fits with their missions. It’s equally about saving money, saving the environment, and helping communities invest in a cleaner, more resilient energy grid for the future.” 

Additional capacity remains on Nexamp projects across multiple markets and utility service territories. Businesses interested in learning more about commercial offtake should visit www.nexamp.com/power-purchase-agreements. 

SCHENECTADY/BOSTON, MA – GE (NYSE:GE) announced on Nov. 9 its plan to form three industry-leading, global public companies focused on the growth sectors of aviation, healthcare, and energy. 

GE will be pursuing a tax-free spin-off of GE Healthcare, creating a pure-play company at the center of precision health in early 2023, in which GE expects to retain a stake of 19.9%. The company will be combining GE Renewable Energy, GE Power, and GE Digital into one business, positioned to lead the energy transition, and then pursuing a tax-free spin-off of this business in early 2024. Following these transactions, GE will be an aviation-focused company shaping the future of flight. 

“At GE we have always taken immense pride in our purpose of building a world that works. The word demands – deserves – we bring our best to solve the biggest challenges in flight, healthcare, and energy,” said GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. “By creating three industry-leading, global public companies, each can benefit from greater focus, tailored capital allocation, and strategic flexibility to drive long-term growth and value for customers, investors, and employees. We are putting our technology, expertise, leadership, and global reach to work to better serve our customers.” 

As independently run companies, the businesses will be better positioned to deliver long-term growth and create value for customers, investors, and employees, with each benefiting from the following: deeper operational focus, accountability, and agility to meet customer needs; tailored capital allocation decisions in line with distinct strategies and industry-specific dynamics; strategic and financial flexibility to pursue growth opportunities; dedicated boards of directors with deep domain expertise; business- and industry-oriented career opportunities and incentives for employees; and distinct and compelling investment profiles appealing to broader, deeper investor bases. 

GE’s headquarters was once located in Schenectady, nicknamed the “Electric City.” Their headquarters has since moved out of state to Boston, MA. For more information on GE, visit their website at www.ge.com. 

ALBANY — Consumer Directed Choices, Inc. (CDChoices), a nonprofit organization providing fiscal intermediary payroll and program administration services to seniors and people with disabilities, launches an easy-to-use workforce recruitment portal to connect individuals in need of home care services with “personal assistants” or caregivers. 

Through CDChoices and New York State’s Consumer Directed Assistance Program, consumers control their own care by searching, interviewing, hiring, and training personal assistants. Given the national shortage of homecare employees, CDChoices proactively enhanced and simplified its recruitment platform to attract more users. 

“We recognize the difficulty of recruiting personal assistants and the lack of attention paid to the homecare industry, which is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the state,” said Christopher Graber, Chief Executive Officer of CDChoices. “New York currently has the greatest shortage of homecare workers in the nation. We want to do our part to help our consumers increase their ability to attract, recruit, and retain dedicated workers.” 

Once a profile is created, a CDChoices consumer can search for personal assistants who match the specific care criteria they need. Similarly, personal assistants can search based on their own criteria and apply for specific job assignments that consumers have posted. Jobs feature full-time, part-time, and per diem. 

Portal features include direct messaging; sort and filter options; saved search criteria and job posting management.

Visit their website to learn if you are eligible for CDChoices through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). To learn more about becoming a personal assistant, visit portal.cdchoices.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Death Wish Coffee Co., the makers of the World’s Strongest Coffee, is launching a new holiday blend, Gingerdead coffee, i.e. the brand’s secret to a good holiday. The new seasonal favorite infuses a festive mix of ginger with notes of warm brown spices and a cinnamon kick for a perfect blend of holiday in a cup. Like a fiery kick to the tastebuds and a cozy hug from the Grim Reaper, this sweetly spiced blend is sure to warm your cold, dead heart this holiday season. 

Celebrating the “hellidays”, Death Wish Coffee Co. created the new holiday-themed roast as consumers, most notably millennials and gen Z coffee drinkers, are continuing to look for new flavorful coffee drinks and ways to create a barista experience at home. 

“We wanted to create our own spin on a holiday classic to appeal to those who love to indulge in seasonally themed roasts and understand our dark sense of humor,” said Mike Pilkington, President of Death Wish Coffee Co. “Gingerdead delivers the same bold flavor and pick-me-up kick that Death wish Coffee is known for and we’re excited for consumers to try it.”

Gingerdead will be available in the traditional 12-ounce ground bags and 10-count Death Cups, compatible with Keurig machines, starting Nov. 12, exclusively to coffee subscribers and will be released for everyone to enjoy on Nov. 13, only available on www.deathwishcoffee.com and at the brand’s flagship store at 260 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. 

For more information about Death Wish Coffee Co. and to purchase Gingerdead products, visit www.deathwishcoffee.com.