For affordable multifamily owners in Upstate New York, the cost and coordination required to modernize an existing building can delay otherwise worthwhile improvements.

I see NYSERDA’s Affordable Multifamily Program Upstate (AMP Up) as a practical opportunity to bring incentive funding, technical assistance, and structured project support into one process. 

AMP Up supports eligible owners pursuing energy-efficiency, electrification, and resilience upgrades. The program can reduce upfront costs while helping owners move from assessment and scope development through construction and closeout. That combination can make it easier to modernize aging buildings, lower operating costs, improve resident comfort, and preserve long-term asset value. 

NYSERDA AMP Up at a Glance 

AMP Up launched in 2026 as NYSERDA’s program for eligible low- and moderate-income multifamily properties in Upstate New York. The following points provide a quick screening view of the program. 

• Purpose. Financial incentives and technical support for cost-effective energy-efficiency, electrification, and resilience upgrades. 

• Location. Existing multifamily properties in Upstate New York. Buildings in Con Edison, National Grid KEDLI, or National Grid KEDNY service areas are not eligible. 

• Building requirements. A qualifying project must have at least five dwelling units, and at least 50% of gross heated square footage must be residential or residentially associated. 

• Income requirement. At least 25% of units must be, or be expected to be, occupied by households earning no more than 80% of Area Median Income or State Median Income, whichever is higher.

• Project pathways. Low-Rise Pathway for buildings with three stories or fewer and 20 units or fewer; Large Building Pathway for buildings with four or more stories or 21 or more units.

• Incentive caps. Up to 85% of eligible measure costs for Low-Rise Pathway projects and up to 70% for Large Building Pathway projects, subject to category caps and program rules.

• Delivery model. A NYSERDA Participating Contractor guides the application, scope development, program documentation, construction-stage verification, and closeout process.

What Is NYSERDA’s Affordable Multifamily Program Upstate? 

AMP Up is designed to provide one coordinated route for funding and implementing eligible improvements. NYSERDA combines end-use incentives, technical assistance, and Participating Contractor support so owners can move a project from initial interest through construction completion within a defined program structure. 

The program can support scopes ranging from refrigerator replacements and straightforward prescriptive measures to weatherization, building electrification, deep retrofit work, and eligible resilience enhancements. The exact scope, incentive offer, and project requirements depend on the building, proposed measures, assigned pathway, and NYSERDA approval. 

The Participating Contractor is central to the process. The contractor helps prepare and submit the application, supports building assessment and scope development, documents proposed measures in NYSERDA’s Energy Assessment and Scoping Tool (EAST), remains engaged through construction, and supports verification and milestone submissions. NYSERDA makes the final decisions on eligibility, project approval, incentive amounts, and payments. 

Who Is Eligible for NYSERDA AMP Up? 

NYSERDA determines eligibility at the project level. Owners and operators can begin by reviewing the program’s location, building, residential-use, and income requirements. 

• Eligible location. The property must be in Upstate New York, which NYSERDA defines as all New York geographies north of Con Edison’s service territory. Buildings in Con Edison, KEDLI, and KEDNY service areas are excluded. 

• Existing multifamily property. A project must contain at least five dwelling units. A qualifying project may include more than one building when the program requirements for a multi-building project are met. 

• Residential use. At least 50% of the gross heated square footage must be residential or residentially associated, which allows qualifying mixed-use properties to be considered. 

• Income qualification. At least 25% of units must be occupied, or expected to be occupied, by households earning no more than 80% of Area Median Income or State Median Income, whichever is higher. 

• Utility status. Both System Benefits Charge and non-System Benefits Charge customers may be eligible when the other program requirements are met. 

The income test applies to the project as a whole. Because the program includes several eligibility paths and documentation requirements, a Participating Contractor can help the owner assemble the relevant information before the application is submitted. 

How AMP Up Assigns the Two Project Pathways

Building size determines which AMP Up pathway applies. Both pathways provide access to energy-upgrade incentives, Participating Contractors, eligible resilience enhancements, and the program’s concierge structure, but they use different incentive caps and payment schedules.

Low-Rise Pathway 

The Low-Rise Pathway applies when a building has three stories or fewer and 20 units or fewer. NYSERDA provides a higher incentive cost cap of up to 85% of eligible measure costs and an accelerated staged payment schedule intended to disburse more funds earlier in the project timeline. 

Contractors and delivery teams should also place material separation, hauler coordination, destination planning, and recordkeeping responsibilities into the trade plan. Lenders and investors can use the same stage to test whether permit readiness and project cash flow assumptions reflect the new requirements. 

Large Building Pathway 

The Large Building Pathway applies to buildings with four or more stories or 21 or more units. These projects can receive incentives up to 70% of eligible measure costs, subject to the program’s incentive-category limits, approved scope, and other rules. 

At Project Closeout 

Compliance records are due within 60 days after final inspection. The performance security deposit refund is tied to the documented diversion result, and projects that document 50% or more can receive a full refund. Because the closeout package depends on records created during the work, documentation belongs in the project controls from the beginning. 

What Improvements Can Receive AMP Up Incentives?

AMP Up organizes eligible work into six incentive categories. Measures must meet the program’s Eligible Measures List and Minimum Performance Standards, and the final incentive depends on the approved project scope. 

• Appliance Rebate. Refrigerator replacements, up to $400 per dwelling unit. 

• Prescriptive. Pre-defined, straightforward upgrades, up to $1,750 per dwelling unit. 

• Weatherization. Air sealing, insulation, and other building-envelope improvements, up to $2,500 per dwelling unit. 

• Electrification. Efficient electric space-heating, cooling, and domestic hot-water systems, including eligible heat-pump systems, up to $5,750 per dwelling unit. 

• Deep Retrofit. Comprehensive measures intended to substantially reduce whole-building loads, up to $6,750 per dwelling unit. 

• Resilience Enhancements. Eligible add-on measures tied to selected energy upgrades that address climate hazards. Incentives vary by enhancement. 

Measure-package and building-coverage requirements also apply. Projects seeking Prescriptive incentives must generally include at least two Prescriptive measures, and several categories require measures to cover at least 90% of the building or applicable building space. NYSERDA may review exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

What Contractors and Project Delivery Teams Should Review 

Contractors and permit holders carry the core planning, deposit, and documentation duties. Architects, construction managers, demolition contractors, and other project partners should support a coordinated permit and trade plan. 

• Build the requirements into the permit path. Include the waste diversion plan, deposit, and covered-material strategy before permit issuance. 

• Assign responsibilities by trade. Define responsibility for separation, hauling, recycling or reuse destinations, and ticket collection. 

• Keep regulated materials separate. Coordinate asbestos, lead, and hazardous-material work outside ordinary debris diversion. 

• Own the closeout record. Assign responsibility for weights, receipts, photos, diversion results, and the submission due within 60 days after final inspection. 

The key operational point is alignment. Permit documents, trade scopes, hauler instructions, material routes, and recordkeeping should tell the same story before work starts. 

How the NYSERDA AMP Up Process Works

AMP Up follows a milestone-based process. The Participating Contractor manages the program submissions and helps keep the technical work, owner decisions, installation scope, and required documentation aligned.

1. Interest and Participating Contractor Selection 

An owner can begin through the AMP Up interest form, by contacting NYSERDA, through a participating Regional Clean Energy Hub, or by engaging a contractor from NYSERDA’s Multifamily Contractor Network. Owners may select a Participating Contractor, and the program may assign one when the owner has not selected a contractor. 

2. Application and Scoping Call 

The Participating Contractor collects the required property, ownership, income, utility, and project information and submits the application through the Multifamily Energy Portal. After the application review, the owner, contractor, and program team use the scoping call to confirm the proposed direction and next steps.

3. Stage 1: Scope Development 

The Participating Contractor works with the owner to assess building needs and develop a scope that supports the property’s financial and implementation goals. Depending on the proposed upgrades, this stage may include a building energy assessment, energy modeling, utility-cost analysis, measure cost estimates, and completion of NYSERDA’s Energy Assessment and Scoping Tool (EAST). The Stage 1 package establishes the technical and financial basis for the proposed work. 

4. Stage 2: Construction Start 

After NYSERDA approves the Stage 1 scope, the project may proceed with installation of the improvements documented in the approved EAST. The Participating Contractor reviews applicable equipment submittals and measure designs before installation and submits the required Stage 2 documentation as soon as it is available, but no later than five business days after construction begins. NYSERDA reviews the Stage 2 submission before approving the applicable milestone incentive payment. 

5. Construction, Verification, and Completion 

Installation contractors complete the approved measures. The Participating Contractor remains responsible for verifying that the work matches the approved EAST and program standards, gathering measure documentation, completing the inspection workbook, and supporting required milestone submissions. Stage 3 may be used for partial construction completion, while Stage 4 documents final construction completion and project closeout. 

Why AMP Up Matters for Affordable Multifamily Owners 

In my view, the value of AMP Up comes from combining capital support with a structured project process. Owners can use the program to reduce the upfront cost of eligible work while receiving technical and program support during project development and construction. 

Reduce the Upfront Cost of Eligible Improvements 

The pathway cost caps and per-unit incentive categories can make a broader range of improvements financially achievable. The owner still needs an approved scope and must meet the applicable program rules, but the available support can change the timing and feasibility of a planned upgrade. 

Modernize Aging Building Systems 

AMP Up can support work ranging from basic equipment replacement to weatherization, electrification, and deep retrofit measures. That range gives owners a way to address immediate needs while also considering larger building-performance goals. 

Support Resident Comfort and Energy Affordability 

NYSERDA designed the program to achieve energy savings, bolster energy affordability, and improve quality of life in upgraded buildings. Weatherization, efficient systems, and eligible resilience measures may also contribute to a more comfortable and durable living environment. 

Preserve Long-Term Asset Value 

A coordinated upgrade can help an owner address aging equipment, building-envelope needs, energy performance, and resilience within one capital-planning conversation. The result can support operating performance and the long-term value of the property, subject to the final scope and completed work. 

What Owners Should Confirm Before Pursuing AMP Up

A focused first review can establish whether the property appears to fit the program and what information belongs in the application and scoping conversation. 

Confirm the location.

Verify that the property is in an eligible Upstate New York service area. 

Confirm the building profile.

Review unit count, number of stories, residential square footage, and whether the project includes one or multiple buildings. Projects with more than 150 units, including multi-building projects with more than 150 units in total, require NYSERDA preauthorization before applying.

Confirm the income path.

Identify the documentation that supports the project-level income requirement.

Define the improvement goals.

Clarify whether the owner is considering appliances, prescriptive measures, weatherization, electrification, deep retrofit work, or eligible resilience enhancements.

Select a Participating Contractor.

The contractor will guide the application, scope development, documentation, and construction-stage program work.

Confirm the project schedule.

Previously installed measures are not eligible, and owners should not begin installation until NYSERDA has approved the Stage 1 scope. Work advanced before the applicable approval proceeds at the owner’s financial risk.

This early review does not replace NYSERDA’s eligibility and project approval process. It gives the owner and Participating Contractor a clear starting point for the formal application. 

How EBI Can Support a NYSERDA AMP Up Project

EBI is listed in NYSERDA’s Multifamily Contractor Network under the Energy Assessor service category. Through our Energy & Sustainability Services team, EBI can discuss serving eligible owners and authorized owner representatives as the Participating Contractor for an AMP Up project. 

Initial Program and Project Review 

EBI can help review the property’s basic program fit, discuss the owner’s project goals, and identify the information needed for the application. NYSERDA retains authority for the final eligibility determination and incentive offer. 

Building Assessment and Scope Development 

As required by the selected measures, EBI can support the building assessment, energy analysis or modeling, utility-cost review, measure development, cost information, and completion of the EAST. The purpose is to prepare a scope for NYSERDA review that reflects the building and the owner’s implementation goals. 

Application, Documentation, and Coordination 

EBI can prepare and submit the AMP Up application and milestone packages, maintain communication with the owner and NYSERDA, and coordinate program documentation with the design and installation teams. Before construction, EBI can review applicable equipment submittals and measure designs against the approved scope. 

Construction-Stage Verification and Closeout 

During construction, EBI can verify installed measures, collect and submit the required records, complete the inspection workbook, and support Stage 3 and Stage 4 submissions as applicable. This keeps the approved scope, installed work, and final documentation connected through project closeout. 

Frequently Asked Questions About NYSERDA AMP Up