The CNY RPDB has retained two consultant teams led by O’Brien & Gere Engineers and Arup, respectively, to provide technical assistance to the preparation of the CNY Regional Sustainability Plan. The team led by O’Brien & Gere (OBG) is primarily involved with the energy and solid waste components of the plan. The OBG team consists of the following members, each of which is responsible for completing the (indicated) task:

• HB Solutions, LLC (energy market analysis)
•  AWS Truepower (solar PV and wind)
•  Barton & Loguidice (waste management)
•  CDH Energy (energy efficiency potential, CHP opportunities and strategies)
•  Earth Sensitive Solutions, LLC (geo-exchange)
•  Terrapin Bright Green (alternative financing mechanisms, industrial ecology).

OBG will assist with the development of sustainability goals, energy market analysis including an inventory of utility energy needs and projects, and an assessment of district energy opportunities and strategies.

Arup will provide assistance with the land use and stakeholder engagement components of the plan. Arup’s team consists of:

• HR&A, which will provide economic development analysis of sustainability strategies
• Ryan Harris, responsible for developing a stakeholder engagement campaign utilizing its web-based “Wikiplanning” platform.

Arup will identify financially feasible and implementable Scale Projects. Scale project opportunities represent the possibility to combine a number of clean energy and green practices (waste management, storm water recapture) as well as sustainable urban design and smart growth principles at a scale that is larger than a single building or facility (i.e., block, neighborhood, district or campus).

The Scale Project analysis will assess the environmental performance of proposed sustainable development strategies as compared to a “business as usual” development pattern and analyze the barriers that may exist in local land use regulations and which prohibit or discourage sustainable development practices.  Finally, Arup will analyze the market barriers and identify alternative financing mechanisms and potential sources of public subsidy that might encourage sustainable development practices to occur.