S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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6253--A
Cal. No. 177
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 3, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT, SEAWRIGHT, CONRAD, McDONALD, STERN,
MAGNARELLI, ZEBROWSKI, SMULLEN, SANTABARBARA, CUNNINGHAM, SHIMSKY --
read once and referred to the Committee on Energy -- ordered to a
third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on
the order of third reading
AN ACT in relation to establishing the New York state grid modernization
commission
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. New York state grid modernization commission. (a) Within
one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this act, the New York
state grid modernization commission shall be established.
(b) The New York state grid modernization commission shall consist of:
(i) the chief executive officer of the department of public service or
their chosen designee, (ii) the commissioner of environmental conserva-
tion or their chosen designee, (iii) the commissioner of economic devel-
opment or their chosen designee, (iv) the commissioner of transportation
or their chosen designee, (v) the commissioner of labor or their chosen
designee, (vi) the commissioner of the division of homeland security and
emergency services or their chosen designee, (vii) the commissioner of
agriculture and markets or their chosen designee, (viii) the commission-
er of health or their chosen designee, (ix) the secretary of state or
their chosen designee, (x) the president of the power of authority or
their chosen designee, (xi) the president of the New York state energy
research and development authority or their chosen designee and (xii)
two representatives appointed by the governor, two representatives
appointed by the temporary president of the senate and two represen-
tatives appointed by the speaker of the assembly as well as one repre-
sentative appointed by the minority leader of the senate and one repre-
sentative appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. Such
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05756-06-4
A. 6253--A 2
members shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of subdivi-
sion (c) of this section.
(c) The grid modernization commission shall include members from
communities of color, low-income communities, and communities bearing
disproportionate pollution and climate change burdens, or shall be
representatives of community-based organizations with experience and a
history of advocacy on environmental justice issues, and shall include
at least two representatives from New York city communities, two repre-
sentatives from rural communities, and two representatives from upstate
New York urban communities. Such representatives shall have experience
in one or more of the following fields: economics, engineering, law,
utility regulation, consumer advocacy, or environmental management.
(d) Members of the grid modernization commission shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for the necessary and actual
expenses incurred in the performance of duties as members of the commis-
sion.
(e) The grid modernization commission shall meet biannually.
§ 2. (a) The grid modernization commission shall, in consultation with
the department of public service, conduct a study of research, develop-
ment, and demonstrations of electric grid modernization that address the
principal challenges identified in the New York Independent System Oper-
ator's 2021-2040 System & Resource Outlook and any subsequent twenty-
year comprehensive reliability plans. The study shall identify tools,
resources, and deployment models that may enable improved performance
through the adoption of emerging, commercially available or advanced
grid technologies or solutions, including but not limited to:
(i) micro-grids;
(ii) distributed energy resources;
(iii) energy storage;
(iv) electric vehicles;
(v) electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
(vi) integrated information and communications systems;
(vii) transactive energy systems;
(viii) advanced demand management systems;
(ix) the role of the speed of interconnection to the distribution or
bulk system in enabling a robust future electric grid;
(x) the role of state and local regulatory authorities in enabling a
robust future electric grid to ensure that:
(A) electric utilities remain financially viable;
(B) electric utilities make the needed investments that ensure a reli-
able, secure, and resilient grid; and
(C) costs incurred to transform to an integrated grid are allocated
and recovered responsibly, efficiently, and equitably; and
(xi) any other technologies, solutions, or strategies that the commis-
sion deems important to modernizing the grid.
(b) The grid modernization commission shall solicit input from stake-
holders, including but not limited to:
(i) local governments;
(ii) municipal utilities;
(iii) utility companies;
(iv) rural electric cooperatives;
(v) labor unions;
(vi) ratepayers;
(vii) trade associations;
(viii) generators;
(ix) community organizations; and
A. 6253--A 3
(x) transmission owners.
(c) The grid modernization commission shall hold at least one public
hearing in the preparation of the study and may base study findings on
existing literature.
(d) Any expenses associated with the reimbursement of the grid modern-
ization commission members shall be borne by the New York state energy
research and development authority.
(e) No later than eighteen months after the effective date of this
act, the grid modernization commission shall issue a report on the find-
ings of its study to the state energy planning board containing any
recommendations appropriate for consideration in the development of the
state energy plan. The grid modernization commission shall issue an
annual report following the submission of its initial report to the
state energy planning board with any necessary updates. Such reports
shall be posted on the authority's website and be issued to the tempo-
rary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly.
§ 3. The grid modernization commission shall make recommendations to
the New York state energy research and development authority of grants
that the authority may make to carry out eligible projects related to
the modernization of the electric grid, including but not limited to the
application of technologies to improve observability, advanced controls,
and prediction of system performance on the distribution system.
§ 4. In the development of the state energy plan, the state energy
planning board shall consult with the grid modernization commission and
consider the reasonableness, efficacy and expense of including in the
state energy plan the recommendations contained in the grid moderniza-
tion commission's report issued pursuant to this act.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.