Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today announced that the Department of Public Works (DPW), in partnership with United Water, has secured a New York Stated grant to explore the feasibility of constructing a microgrid on the property of the Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant. The microgrid would power locations in Bay Park and the Village of East Rockaway during times of emergency.

“During Superstorm Sandy, East Rockaway and Bay Park were two of the many communities left without power; however, the location of these communities left them extremely vulnerable for a long period of time,” stated County Executive Mangano. “The construction of a microgrid would provide power to village hall, fire houses, schools and other places where the residents can seek shelter and receive critical information.”

The DPW - along with its partners United Water, the Village of East Rockaway, United Water Long Island, Long Island Power Authority, National Grid, and PSEG-LI - will provide an assessment of microgrid options for the Village of East Rockaway community. The locations that would be powered by the microgrid include East Rockaway Village Hall, two LIRR train stations, the East Rockaway Library, the East Rockaway Post Office, two schools, a fire station, and a public works building.

“Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has continued to make good on his promise to upgrade, enhance and fortify the Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant so it can withstand future weather emergencies. The Village of East Rockaway and I know that installing a microgrid at the plant to independently power critical village and Bay Park locations will help our community during future emergencies. An unobtrusive microgrid will not impact the quality of life in our neighborhood and give residents the comfort of never experiencing a prolonged loss of electricity again,” said East Rockaway Mayor Bruno Romano.

The goal of the project is to study the feasibility of building and operating a community microgrid for the purpose of maintaining electric services for the participating customers or facilities and the community at large in the Village of East Rockaway and Hamlet of Bay Park area, at times when weather events or other emergencies severely disrupt the capacity of the local distribution and transmission system to serve essential community needs.

“As longtime advocates for the Bay Park and East Rockaway communities, County Executive Ed Mangano and I have worked to make the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant a better neighbor to our community and environment. After Sandy flooded and rendered the plant inoperable, future emergency preparations - like the microgrid that County Executive Mangano is studying - are being made that will benefit our entire community. Locations vital to our area will be powered, even during electrical outages, with a microgrid. That will ensure government continues to operate and help neighbors in times of emergency,” said Senior Councilman Anthony J. Santino.

The proposed project would consist of four phases. The first is the initial planning phase of the microgrid configuration to define normal and emergency loads and identify distributed energy resources and demand response needs. The second phase would be the microgrid technical and cost designs, and the last two phases will include an assessment of the business and commercial feasibility, along with the project’s benefit and cost analysis.

“This is just one more level of fortification against the next big storm event that may hit Long Island,” said Presiding Officer Norma L. Gonsalves. “I look forward to the speedy implementation of this project.”