Nov. 30 deadline for electricity credits

Businesses, hospitals and not-for-profit groups with electric bills reduced by New York State have until 4 p.m. on Nov. 30 to reapply for the benefit, officials said Monday.

Participants in the Power for Jobs and Energy Cost Savings Benefit programs must submit applications for the successor program, Recharge New York, which starts July 1. The New York Power Authority runs the old programs and the new one.

About 500 employers, with a combined workforce of more than 320,000 statewide, use Power for Jobs and Energy Cost Savings.

On Long Island there are more than 50 participants with a total payroll exceeding 34,600.

Local participants include CA Technologies in Islandia, the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System hospitals in Manhasset, Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue and Standard Microsystems Corp. in Hauppauge. Newsday also receives benefits.

Most current participants will likely qualify for Recharge New York, said an official with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration. However, the electric-bill reductions could change based on an employer's job commitment to the state, investment plans and competition from others wanting to get into the program, the official said.

If an employer no longer qualifies, it would gradually lose the power savings over four years under a law passed in April establishing Recharge New York.

Michael Saltzman, a power authority spokesman, said Monday about 176 applications have been received so far and another 860 are being completed. The authority's board of trustees is expected to begin awarding power allocations early next year, he said.

The law also doubles to 910 megawatts the amount of cheap electricity available to companies and not-for-profit groups by ending allocations to upstate homeowners and farms.

Hotels, casinos, sports or recreation facilities, retailers and housing developments are not eligible for the energy program.

More information can be found at the power authority's website, nypa.gov/rechargeny.