BILL NUMBER: S8905

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring gas
corporations and electric corporations in this state to file quarterly
reports with the legislature regarding infrastructure upgrades

 
PURPOSE:

To require gas corporations and electric corporations to report to the
legislature quarterly on infrastructure upgrades with specific concern
for: hardening of infrastructure, storm resilience and climate change.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

A new section 73 is added to the public service law, which requires gas
corporations and electric corporations to report to the legislature
quarterly on infrastructure upgrades with specific concern for: harden-
ing of infrastructure, storm resilience and climate change.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

On August 4th, Tropical Storm Isaias hit New York with heavy rain,
tornadoes, and winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour. The storm left
hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers without power across New York City,
Long Island, Westchester and the Hudson Valley, including over 420,000
customers in the PSEG-LI service territory, 260,000 customers in the Con
Edison service territory, and 90,000 customers in the NYSEG service
territory. The storm also disrupted the regions' telephone, cable, and
internet services; services that are particularly essential for New
Yorker's during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outages and service
disruptions lasted for multiple days, and in some areas of the State
many homes and businesses are still waiting to be reconnected.

In an effort to secure continued windfall profits, utilities have
repeatedly promised the PSC to reinvest significant portions of the
revenues derived from rate increase into hardening of infrastructure,
storm resilience sod climate change -yet with each new storm and gust of
wind, millions ore without: power, for four hours, but for days and
weeks. This is unacceptable and accountability must be ensured_

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.