Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Ag Energy NY
This page provides common questions and answers to help orient you about this extension program and website.
What are the benefits of contacting Ag Energy NY?
Cornell Cooperative Extension staff are here to help explain farm energy efficiency concepts; share common energy efficiency recommendation about technologies and preventative maintenance; and assist with questions, information lookup, and energy audit enrollment. This support is available privately and at no cost to farmers.
Who developed this website and the content on it?
Visit the Program Background page to learn more about Ag Energy NY project partners and information sources. If you have more detailed questions, please Contact Us.
Can I find advice about residential parts of a farm on this website?
NYSERDA Agricultural Programs generally do not cover the residential parts of a farm. These programs do include farm equipment that may be in the home, such as refrigeration and freezers. Residential energy advising and related programs can be found at the NYSERDA Smart Energy Choices Program page.
What types of farms are generally discussed on this website?
The information on this website is geared towards all scales of farms for each of the sectors covered. This program’s Areas of Interest are described more on the Program Background page. Energy efficiency guidance is developed with a focus on small- and medium-scale operations, because larger farms can generally apply the same technologies and approaches at larger scales.
Larger farms more commonly adopt energy efficiency measures due to economies of scale. Ag Energy NY is intended to build a foundation of interest and resources suitable for all scales of farms to improve energy efficiency as technologies become more accessible and as energy costs increase.
Can I find some advice about on-site power generation on this website?
We do not focus on renewables like solar electric panels and small wind turbines on this website. They are parts of the Farm Energy Audit as farmers should aim at both energy efficiency systems and renewables. When affordable energy efficiency items are installed, they reduce the renewable systems’ size and cost, which tend to be much more expensive.
More information about on-farm renewable energy is available at the AgriSolar Clearinghouse page on Farm Energy.
What farms are working with Ag Energy NY?
Since outreach for this program began in 2022, Ag Energy NY has assisted a small number of farms across New York State (in Erie, Dutchess, Franklin, and other counties) with questions on energy efficiency, finding technicians who could assist with efficiency-related equipment needs, and enrolling in no-cost and no-commitment farm energy audits. We are committed to preserving farms’ anonymity and do not share information about individual farms.
The NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program (AEAP) works with many farms each year, conducting energy audits with the help of FlexTech Program Consultants. As of June 2022, AEAP has completed 1,105 farm energy audits in the following sectors (note that some farms are counted in more than one sector):
| Type of Farm | NYSERDA AEAP Audits Completed |
| Beef | 108 |
| Dairy | 655 |
| Greenhouse | 190 |
| Vegetables | 165 |
| Poultry/Eggs | 79 |
| Orchard | 101 |
| Horses | 48 |
| Hogs | 42 |
| Hay | 22 |
| Bees/Honey | 3 |
| Maple | 69 |
| Grains, Corn, Wheat | 75 |
| Livestock (goats, sheep, alpacas, etc) | 49 |
| Brewery/Winery/Vineyard/Hemp/Distillery | 45 |
| Crops, Fruit, Soy Beans, Mushrooms | 26 |
| Flowers, Christmas Trees | 12 |
| Agritourism. Market, Packhouse | 6 |
| Other | 22 |