Relates to the New York power authority's conferral process, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2462--B
     Cal. No. 338
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommu-
   nications  -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first
   and second report, ordered to a third  reading,  amended  and  ordered
   reprinted,  retaining its place in the order of third reading -- again
   amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place  in  the  order  of
   third reading
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  authorities  law and the energy law, in
   relation to the New York power authority's conferral process
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "public renewables transparency act".
   § 2. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of  the  public
 authorities  law  is  amended  by  adding two new subparagraphs (xi) and
 (xii) to read as follows:
   (XI) DURING AT LEAST THREE BOARD OF TRUSTEES' MEETINGS PER YEAR, THERE
 SHALL BE A PUBLIC REPORT DELIVERED AND PUBLISHED ON THE DEVELOPMENT  AND
 IMPLEMENTATION  OF THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC
 PLAN.  A STATEMENT EXPLAINING THAT THERE IS NO UPDATE SHALL BE  ACCEPTA-
 BLE.
   (XII) THE AUTHORITY SHALL MAINTAIN A PUBLIC DASHBOARD ON THEIR WEBSITE
 DEMONSTRATING  THEIR  PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE
 ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC PLAN.
   § 3. Subparagraph (vii)  of  paragraph  (e)  of  subdivision  27-a  of
 section  1005  of  the  public authorities law, as added by section 1 of
 part QQ of chapter 56 of the  laws  of  2023,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   (vii)  The  authority  shall post a draft of the strategic plan on its
 website for public comment for a period of  at  least  sixty  days,  and
 shall hold at least three public hearings on the draft strategic plan in
 regionally diverse parts of the state.  CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO
 THE  AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC TRANSIT WHEN SELECTING LOCATIONS FOR IN-PER-
 SON HEARINGS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00523-09-5
 S. 2462--B                          2
 
   § 4. Section 6-102 of the energy law, as added by chapter 433  of  the
 laws  of  2009, subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 as amended by chapter 195 of the
 laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   §  6-102. State energy planning board. 1. There shall be established a
 state energy planning board, hereinafter referred  to  as  the  "board",
 which  shall  consist of the chair of the public service commission, the
 commissioner of environmental conservation, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE  OFFICER
 OF  THE  NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY, the commissioner of economic develop-
 ment, the commissioner of transportation, the commissioner of labor, the
 commissioner  of  the  division  of  homeland  security  and   emergency
 services,  the commissioner of agriculture and markets, the commissioner
 of health, the secretary of state and the  president  of  the  New  York
 state  energy  research  and  development  authority.  The governor, the
 speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the senate  shall
 each  appoint  one additional representative to serve on the board.  The
 presiding officer of the federally designated electric bulk system oper-
 ator (BSO) shall serve as a non-voting member of the board. Any decision
 or action by the board shall be by majority vote. The president  of  the
 New  York state energy research and development authority shall serve as
 chair of the board. Members of the  board  may  designate  an  executive
 staff representative to participate on the board on their behalf.
   2.  Regional planning councils shall be established. Two regions shall
 be established as follows:
   (a) Downstate region - New York City  and  Dutchess,  Nassau,  Orange,
 Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties;
   (b)  Upstate  region  - Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga,
 Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton,  Columbia,  Cortland,  Delaware,
 Erie,  Essex,  Franklin,  Fulton,  Genesee,  Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer,
 Jefferson, Lewis,  Livingston,  Madison,  Monroe,  Montgomery,  Niagara,
 Oneida,  Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, Sarato-
 ga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler,  Seneca,  St.  Lawrence,  Steuben,
 Sullivan,  Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates
 counties.
   The governor, temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the
 assembly shall each appoint three regional planning council members  per
 region.  Regional  planning  council members shall serve without compen-
 sation, and shall have their principal residence within the  region  for
 which  they  are  appointed.  Such  regional council members may solicit
 input from stakeholder interests within their region, including but  not
 limited  to local governments, municipal utilities, rural electric coop-
 eratives, utilities, labor unions, ratepayers, businesses, trade associ-
 ations, generators, and community organizations. Each regional  planning
 council  shall transmit to the board a report containing any recommenda-
 tions specific to its region on a schedule determined by the board to be
 appropriate for consideration of such report in the development  of  the
 draft energy plan.
   3. Staff services shall be performed by personnel of the department of
 public  service,  the  department of environmental conservation, THE NEW
 YORK POWER AUTHORITY, the department of transportation,  the  department
 of economic development, the division of homeland security and emergency
 services and the New York state energy research and development authori-
 ty,  as  directed by the board. Assistance shall also be made available,
 as requested by the board, from other agencies, departments  and  public
 authorities  of  the  state. The board may provide for its own represen-
 tation in all actions or proceedings in which it is a party.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.