The facility is working on a strategic plan to help keep up with other research institutions
By Chloe Bennett
Trudeau Institute, a legendary arm of the Adirondack Park’s small cluster of medical research, will soon be partially powered by hydroelectricity. A state grant allocating renewable energy to the organization will cover some of its operating costs.
The New York Power Authority in July approved 22 energy awards meant to represent $200 million in capital investments. Trudeau Institute will receive around 176 kilowatt hours of hydropower covered by the state over seven years, lowering costs by about 30%, said William Reiley, president and director of the institute. The energy will come from the authority’s Niagara and St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt hydropower plants and the wholesale market.
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Part of Trudeau Institute’s contract with the ReCharge NY program is an agreement to retain all 65 employees for at least the next seven years. The state estimates a capital investment of about $1.5 million.
When the Saranac Lake-based facility first opened its doors in 1964, researchers were uncovering clues to combat tuberculosis, influenza and cancer. The institute was founded in 1884 as the Saranac Laboratory.
Today, its research has expanded to more viral infections like COVID-19 and Zika.
But working on biotechnology advancement in a building dating back 60 years has proven costly, prompting the organization to pursue more energy efficiency, said Elisabeth Cain, director of institutional advancement and government relations.
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“We have been thinking about the greening of Trudeau for a while,” Cain said. “And this would be a first step to do that.”
The science laboratories at Trudeau Institute put significant demands on the building’s heating and cooling system, incurring high costs for the organization.
A five-year strategic plan to renovate the building and keep up with other research enterprises is underway, Reiley said. Energy efficiency projects including replacing its HVAC system are priorities for administrators of the aging building.
“We have a facility and we want to make it greener because we know that the impact of what we’re doing is obviously impacting climate and now change as well,” Reiley said.
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In a release, State Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, praised the power allocation. “I am proud to support the Trudeau Institute and am pleased with this important investment,” he said. Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, said retaining jobs and improving energy infrastructure is “vital.”
Photo at top: The Trudeau Institute campus on Lower Saranac Lake. Photo courtesy of Trudeau Institute
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