Oneida Indian Nation—2022 Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Summary

The Oneida Indian Nation will build upon the success of previous energy efficiency projects with the implementation of multiple energy efficiency measures at the Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino. The project is expected to save approximately $100,000 in energy costs per year by decreasing annual energy usage by nearly 662,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and 58,000 therms. Additionally, the project is expected to reduce the Nation’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 780 metric tons.

Project Description

Background

The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized sovereign Indian nation, with many of its enrolled members residing on or near the Nation’s ancestral homelands in central New York State. The Nation has reacquired approximately 18,000 acres within its 300,000-acre reservation, which was established by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua and spans much of Madison and Oneida Counties.

The Oneida Indian Nation Clean Energy Deployment Project is the fourth energy efficiency project that the Nation will complete with financial assistance from the Office of Indian Energy. This project builds upon the outcomes of the Office of Indian Energy-awarded "First Steps Toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands 2016" grant, which was used to engage a consultant to establish baseline energy use throughout Nation-owned buildings. The overall energy audit performed adhered to the ASHRAE Level II energy audit standard, which requires a walk-through analysis of buildings as well as an energy survey and analysis. ASHRAE Level II further stipulates that low-cost and no-cost measures, potential improvements, and detailed energy and financial analysis must be provided through generated reports. Following this first Level II audit, two additional energy audits have been conducted, one in 2019 and the other in 2022, and both include assessments of the Turning Stone Resort Casino facilities. The outcomes of the 2022 energy audit is the basis for this new project.

Project Objectives

Under this project, the Nation will implement five energy efficiency measures that will directly impact the Turning Stone Resort Casino. The specific goals of the project are to: (1) reduce annual energy usage by roughly 662,000 kWh and 58,000 therms, which will save approximately $100,000 annually in energy costs, and (2) reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 780 metric tons. As the energy efficiency measures reduce the need to purchase power from external sources, the project goals align with the Nation’s long-term goals to increase energy self-sufficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase funds allocated for the benefit of its members.

Project Scope

The Oneida Indian Nation will implement five energy efficiency measures at the Turning Stone Resort Casino. Three of the energy efficiency measures are improvements to the Nation’s central utility plant, which provides a large amount of the electricity required by the many Turning Stone facilities, and thus the impact will be significant, both in the reduction of energy usage and subsequent energy cost savings. The remaining two energy efficiency measures consist of lighting upgrades, which will improve the energy efficiency of the two largest Turning Stone entertainment venues. Although a smaller improvement, the lighting upgrades will have a significant impact on the energy use and cost savings for those facilities.

Upgrades to the central utility plant include: the replacement of one of the existing air compressors with a variable frequency drive air compressor; upgrading both boilers with variable speed drives and upgrading controls for the combustion air-to-fuel mixture; and upgrading one of the existing boilers with an exhaust stack economizer. The stack economizer upgrade involves modifying the existing exhaust stack from the boiler to feed a heat exchanger that will then be used to preheat the makeup water to the boiler, thus resulting in lower gas usage. The lighting upgrades for the Nation’s Event Center and Showroom will include the conversion of incandescent and fluorescent lighting fixtures to accommodate energy-efficient light-emitting diode units.

Project Location

The Oneida Indian Nation is located in central New York State on a 300,000-acre reservation that was established and recognized by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. This project will take place within facilities that make up the Turning Stone Resort Casino, all of which are owned by the Nation and located on Nation lands.

Three of the five energy efficiency measures are upgrades to the Nation’s central utility plant, which provides electricity to the Turning Stone Resort Casino facilities, including administrative offices, hotels, restaurants, spas, entertainment venues, and gaming sites. Two of the five energy efficiency measures consist of lighting upgrades at the Nation’s two largest entertainment venues, located at the Turning Stone Resort Casino: the Event Center and the Showroom.