Reply To: T-shirt designers unite and take over

[Brian H]

Interesting NY State development:

Friday, July 10, 2009, 8:31am EDT
Senate pulls all-nighter, pass 135 bills
The Business Review (Albany) – by Adam Sichko

Early Friday morning, the state Senate revived a popular program that provides low-cost power to businesses.

…

During the late-night session, senators renewed the state’s Power for Jobs program, which costs $137 million a year. The program provides low-cost power, or power subsidies, to businesses in exchange for pledges to retain and create jobs.

Statewide, 330,000 jobs are connected to the program. More than 60 Capital Region companies—ranging from manufacturers to nursing homes—use the program, involving 13,000 employees.

Industrial power in New York is 40 percent higher than the national average; commercial power rates are 65 percent higher than the national average.

Now, the Power for Jobs program is extended until May 15, 2010. Under the law, some companies will undergo energy audits, information that legislators will use to develop a long-term power subsidy program to replace Power for Jobs.