S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1925
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 13, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. OTIS, ABINANTI, BARRON, BURDICK, GALEF, REYES,
   ROZIC, SAYEGH, SIMON, SEAWRIGHT, THIELE, ZEBROWSKI --  read  once  and
   referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the public service law, in relation to the contents of
   emergency response plans  required  to  be  submitted  to  the  public
   service commission by electric corporations
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public
 service law, as added by section 4 of part X of chapter 57 of  the  laws
 of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   (a) Each electric corporation subject to section twenty-five-a of this
 chapter  shall  annually, on or before December fifteenth, submit to the
 commission an emergency response plan for review and approval. The emer-
 gency response plan shall be designed for the reasonably prompt restora-
 tion of service in the case of an emergency event, defined for  purposes
 of  this  subdivision as an event where widespread outages have occurred
 in the service territory of the company due to storms  or  other  causes
 beyond  the  control  of  the company.   PLANS SHOULD INCLUDE DETAILS OF
 STAFFING, EQUIPMENT AND ABILITY TO PERFORM TOWARDS THE FOLLOWING  STAND-
 ARD:  THE  GOAL  OF  FULL RESTORATION OF SERVICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS WITHIN
 FORTY-EIGHT HOURS, THE REQUIREMENT OF RESTORATION TO EIGHTY  PERCENT  OF
 CUSTOMERS  HAVING  LOST  POWER  WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS, AND EFFORTS TO
 RESTORE REMAINING CUSTOMERS TO THE GREATEST EXTENT FEASIBLE IN A  TIMELY
 AND SAFE MANNER. The emergency response plan shall include, but need not
 be limited to, the following: (i) the identification of management staff
 responsible  for company operations during an emergency; (ii) a communi-
 cations system with customers during an emergency  that  extends  beyond
 normal  business  hours and business conditions; (iii) identification of
 and outreach plans to customers who had documented their need for essen-
 tial electricity for medical needs; (iv) identification of and  outreach
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02409-01-1

 A. 1925                             2
 
 plans to customers who had documented their need for essential electric-
 ity  to  provide  critical  telecommunications, critical transportation,
 critical fuel distribution services or other large-load customers  iden-
 tified  by  the commission; (v) designation of company staff to communi-
 cate with local officials  and  appropriate  regulatory  agencies;  (vi)
 provisions  regarding  how  the  company  will  assure the safety of its
 employees and contractors; (vii) procedures for  deploying  company  and
 mutual  aid  crews  to  work  assignment areas; (viii) identification of
 additional supplies and equipment needed during an emergency;  (ix)  the
 means  of obtaining additional supplies and equipment; (x) procedures to
 practice the emergency response plan; (xi)  appropriate  safety  precau-
 tions  regarding  electrical hazards, including plans to promptly secure
 downed wires within thirty-six hours of notification of the location  of
 such  downed  wires  from a municipal emergency official; and (xii) such
 other additional information as the commission may  require.  Each  such
 corporation  shall,  on  an  annual basis, undertake drills implementing
 procedures to practice its emergency management plan. The commission may
 adopt additional requirements consistent with  ensuring  the  reasonably
 prompt restoration of service in the case of an emergency event.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.