POTSDAM -- State energy leaders will continue the Statewide Winter Energy Tour to highlight ways communities can be involved in local power generation and distribution in order to become less reliant on the electrical grid.

The information session will take place 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 at SUNY Potsdam’s Thomas M. Barrington Student Union, Multi-Purpose Room A, 44 Pierrepont Ave. Parking is limited to lots 20 and 31. Directional signs will be located on campus.

The Statewide Winter Energy Tour is holding information sessions in each of the 10 Regional Economic Development Council regions, many of which have suffered from the effects of extreme weather. Local residents can learn about and discuss with energy and community leaders how changes in energy policy and strategies will affect their communities.

At the Potsdam visit, Greg Hale, Senior Advisor to the Chairman of Energy and Finance, New York State, and Micah Kotch, Director of NY Prize and Strategic Advisor for Innovation at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will join business leaders, emergency managers, large commercial and residential property owners, critical facility managers, educational leaders and community-based organizations.

The focus of the tour is community-based microgrids, which are local energy networks able to fully separate from the larger electrical grid during extreme weather events and emergencies. In the event of a power outage, microgrids can help communities provide vital public services and power to residential customers and critical operators such as hospitals, first responders and water treatment facilities. They can also add electricity to the main grid during times when overall demand is highest.

Microgrids can distribute electricity generated locally by solar, other renewable energy installations or combined heat and power systems at local sites, as well as energy storage technology where the energy can be stored for later use.

New York State is encouraging community-based microgrids through NY Prize, a $40 million first-of-its-kind competition announced by Governor Cuomo. NY Prize aims to inspire investment in locally generated power systems by challenging New York businesses, entrepreneurs and electric utilities to design and implement them.

To register for the Statewide Winter Energy Tour, visit nyserda.ny.gov/energy-tour. To learn how you can help engage your community to participate, contactnyprize@nyserda.ny.gov.

New York is the leading Northeastern state, with 75 microgrids in operation and 200 megawatts of installed microgrid capacity, according to GTM Research. New York State is delivering on Governor Cuomo’s commitment to transform the energy industry into a more resilient, clean, cost-effective and dynamic system by developing innovative market solutions and empowering local community leaders and entrepreneurs.