As Americans begin the process of filing tax
returns, identity thieves are scheming to get their
hands on that money, the Adirondack Trust Co.
warned during Identity Theft Awareness Week
in January.

Tax identity theft has been the most common
form of identity theft reported to the Federal
Trade Commission for the past five years, bank
officials said.

“Identity thieves look for every opportunity
to steal your information, especially during tax
season,” said Charles V. Wait Jr., executive vice
president. “Consumers should be on high alert
and take every step they can to protect their
personal and financial information.”

Tax identity fraud takes place when a criminal
files a false tax return using a stolen Social
Security number in order to fraudulently claim
the refund. Identity thieves generally file false
claims early in the year and victims are unaware
until they file a return and learn one has already
been filed in their name.

Although energy efficiency measures are
often thought of as a way for residential customers
to save on cost, the same principles
apply to larger, commercial customers.

Recently, Quad/Graphics in Saratoga
Springs took advantage of National Grid’s
Energy Efficiency Incentive Program and
installed equipment that officials said not
only boost production but also save more
than 4.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity.

That’s about the equivalent savings of taking
about 380 homes off the electric grid for
an entire year, according to National Grid officials,
who said the upgrade will save Quad/
Graphics more than $380,000 a year in energy
costs while helping it increase production to
stay competitive.

National Grid provided $1.1 million to
Quad/Graphics to install a more efficient
printing press that replaced two older presses
and has increased production by more than
60 percent. The company said the incentive is
the second largest single incentive provided
by the upstate New York program since its
start in 2009.

Commercial user fees for entering the
United States changed Dec. 28, with fees for
commercial trucks arriving without a transponder
increasing from $10.75 to $13.05
per crossing, the U.S. Customs and Border
Protection announced.

“Commercial trucks prepared with an
ACE manifest and user fee transponder are
generally processed 50 percent faster than
non-prepared commercial crossers,” said Ann
Marie Paul, assistant director at the Customs
and Border Protection Buffalo field office.
“For carriers arriving at the border without a
transponder, they should be prepared to pay
the $13.05 fee with exact change or a credit
card to minimize delays.”

She said commercial truck drivers and
companies are strongly encouraged to purchase
a commercial truck transponder which
will assist with a more expedited crossing at
the border. Trucks with transponders do not
have to undergo a commercial fee transaction
when crossing into the United States, potentially
saving precious commodity movement
time. Commercial transponders are available
for an annual fee of $401.67.

The LA Group, Landscape Architecture and
Engineering PC announced the acquisition of
HMH Site & Sports Design in Ithaca.

The expansion brings a new office in Ithaca,
six new staff members, and an increased focus
on resorts and recreation, including a niche in
athletic fields, the company said.

Founded in 1974, The LA Group is a 46-person
landscape architecture and engineering
firm based in Saratoga Springs. It’s built a
regional and national reputation working for
the Veterans Administration, the National
Park Service, developers and municipalities
for urban revitalization and clients such as the
Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta.

HMH was founded in 2005 as a boutique
firm specializing in athletic facilities. Over
the past 10 years, it has worked on projects
for Farmingdale State College, SUNY Cortland,
Binghamton University, and the Niagara Falls
City School District, among others.

The state Public Service Commission has
approved a 10-year, $5 billion Clean Energy
Fund designed to accelerate the growth of
New York’s clean energy economy, address
climate change, strengthen resiliency in the
face of extreme weather and lower energy
bills for New Yorkers starting this year.

Additionally, the fund will attract and
leverage third-party capital to support the
governor’s aggressive Clean Energy Standard,
one of the nation’s most ambitious goals to
meet 50 percent of our electricity needs with
renewable resources by 2030, officials said.

“New York is a national leader in combating
climate change and growing the clean
energy economy and today we are taking the
next big step forward,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo
said. “This unparalleled $5 billion investment
will leverage more than $29 billion in
private sector funding and open the door to
new clean energy opportunities for years to
come. We are raising the bar when it comes
to increasing the use of renewable energy and
reducing harmful carbon emissions, and I am
proud that the Empire State is continuing to
set the example for the future.”

The fund, to be administered by the New
York State Energy Research and Development
Authority, builds on the progress the state is
already making in developing a robust clean
tech sector. It is projected to result in more
than $39 billion in customer bill savings over
the next 10 years through innovative projects
and private-public partnerships focused on
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, making
energy more affordable through energy efficiency
and renewable energy, and mobilizing
private-sector capital.