The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $1,000,000 in federal funding to the state of new york through the national estuarine research reserve system (nerrs) land…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $1,000,000 in federal funding on October 1, 2025, to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420) to support facility construction at the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. The project will retrofit and upgrade the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Norrie Point Environmental Center by converting the existing fossil fuel-based system to a geothermal system featuring geothermal heat pumps and electric components. This upgrade includes removal of the current boiler and discontinuation of fuel oil use, with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2028.

The project aligns with the reserve's management objectives to maintain a safe, welcoming, accessible, functional, and environmentally sustainable campus while improving the overall sustainability of reserve facilities and operations. The NERRS Land Acquisition and Construction Program funds facility improvements and infrastructure upgrades that support the mission of National Estuarine Research Reserves as natural field laboratories for monitoring, research, and public education in coastal estuarine environments. Total obligations for this project reach $1,750,000, including non-federal cost-share contributions.

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $1,000,000 in federal funding to the state of new york through the national estuarine research reserve system (nerrs) land acquisition and construction program for fiscal year 2025 (NOAA-NOS-OCM-2025-29258). This funding will build the ability of the hudson river national estuarine research reserve within the new york state department of environmental conservation to construct and install a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the norrie point environmental center. The objectives of this project are to retrofit and upgrade the current HVAC system at the norrie point environmental center to a geothermal system to include geothermal heat pumps and electric components, to remove the existing boiler and discontinue use of fuel oil. The retrofit, upgrade and installation of a new HVAC system at norrie point will further the objectives of the reserves management plan to maintain a safe, welcoming, accessible, functional, and green campus at the norrie point environmental center as well as improve the sustainability of reserve sites and facilities.