S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3561
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 28, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Energy
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to  establishing
   the  "go green schools act" to assist schools in converting to renewa-
   ble energy systems as a primary source of energy

   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 "go green schools act".
   § 2. Article 8 of the public authorities law is amended  by  adding  a
 new title 9-D to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 9-D
                           GO GREEN SCHOOLS ACT
 
 SECTION 1920. DEFINITIONS.
         1921. MAPPING.
         1922. STUDY.
         1923. REPORTING.
   § 1920. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS TITLE:
   (A)  "AUTHORITY"  SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVI-
 SION TWO OF SECTION EIGHTEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE OF THIS ARTICLE; AND
   (B) "RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS  DEFINED
 IN SECTION SIXTY-SIX-P OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW.
   §  1921.  MAPPING.  1.   THE AUTHORITY SHALL DEVELOP A MAPPING TOOL TO
 PROVIDE TO SCHOOLS TO ASSIST SUCH SCHOOLS  IN  CONVERTING  TO  RENEWABLE
 ENERGY SYSTEMS AS A PRIMARY SOURCE OF ENERGY.
   2.  THE  MAPPING  TOOL SHALL BE POSTED PROMINENTLY AND PUBLICLY ON THE
 AUTHORITY'S WEBSITE AND SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING FEATURES:
   (A) PROVIDE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE TO SCHOOLS TO  COMPRE-
 HENSIVELY  EVALUATE  WHAT TYPE OR TYPES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS WILL
 BE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR MEETING THE ENERGY NEEDS  OF  EACH
 SCHOOL IN THE STATE; AND
   (B)  RENEWABLE  ENERGY  SYSTEM  SITING  INFORMATION, SUCH AS: LAND USE
 COVER DATA; DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES; BROWNFIELDS; PREVIOUSLY DISTURBED
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06639-01-5
 A. 3561                             2
 
 AND DEVELOPED SITES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE ROOFTOPS, PARKING
 LOTS, AND LANDFILLS;  AGRICULTURAL  SOILS  AND  AGRICULTURAL  DISTRICTS;
 FORESTS; WETLANDS, FLOODPLAINS, AND WATERBODIES; HISTORIC, CULTURAL, AND
 ARCHAEOLOGICAL  RESOURCES;  PUBLIC  PARKS,  PRESERVES  AND  RECREATIONAL
 RESOURCES; CONSERVED AND PROTECTED  LANDS;  HOSTING  CAPACITY;  DISTRIB-
 UTION,  AND  TRANSMISSION  LINES;  AND  TOPOGRAPHY AS RELEVANT TO SITING
 RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS.
   3. THE AUTHORITY SHALL COMPLETE AND  POST  THE  MAPPING  TOOL  ON  ITS
 WEBSITE ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
   § 1922. STUDY. 1. THE AUTHORITY, WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE
 DATE  OF  THIS TITLE, SHALL CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY
 AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CONVERTING EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO  RENEWA-
 BLE ENERGY AS A PRIMARY SOURCE OF ENERGY.
   2. SUCH STUDY SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  THE ABILITY OF EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SAFELY HOUSE ITS OWN INDE-
 PENDENT ENERGY HARNESSING SOURCE AND STORE THE ENERGY HARNESSED, INCLUD-
 ING THE USE OF NEARBY STRUCTURES TO CREATE LOCAL STORAGE BATTERY FACILI-
 TIES NEARBY;
   (B) THE ABILITY TO PLUG SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT CONNECTED TO A  RENEWABLE
 ENERGY  SOURCE INTO EXISTING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, INCLUDING BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO SOLAR FARMS, HYDROGEN ENERGY PLANTS, WIND FARMS,  GEOTHERMAL,
 AND  OTHER  RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, AS APPROVED BY THE AUTHORITY, THAT
 ARE NEARBY;
   (C) THE CREATION OF MICROGRIDS TO CONNECT SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  TO  LOCAL
 RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, AND THE COST TO UPKEEP SUCH MICROGRIDS; AND
   (D)  RECOMMENDATIONS  REGARDING  THE  MOST  FEASIBLE  RENEWABLE ENERGY
 SOURCES FOR CONVERTING PUBLIC  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  TO  RENEWABLE  ENERGY,
 INCLUDING  THE  MOST  COST-EFFECTIVE ROUTES TO CONNECT SCHOOLS WITH SUCH
 RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.
   § 1923. REPORTING. 1. (A) THE AUTHORITY, NO LATER  THAN  THREE  MONTHS
 FOLLOWING  THE  COMPLETION  OF  THE MAPPING REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION
 NINETEEN HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE OF THIS TITLE AND THE STUDY REQUIRED  PURSU-
 ANT TO SECTION NINETEEN HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO OF THIS TITLE, SHALL SUBMIT A
 REPORT  TO  THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE
 SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF SUCH MAPPING AND  THE
 FINDINGS OF SUCH STUDY.
   (B)  THE REPORT REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION
 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (I) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MOST EFFICIENT WAYS TO CONVERT SCHOOLS  TO
 RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS; AND
   (II)  RECOMMENDATIONS  FOR  FINANCIAL  SAVINGS PROGRAMS TO INCENTIVIZE
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO CONVERT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS.
   2. THE AUTHORITY, NO LATER THAN TWELVE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION
 OF THE MAPPING REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETEEN HUNDRED  TWENTY-ONE
 OF  THIS  TITLE  AND  THE  STUDY  REQUIRED  PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETEEN
 HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO OF THIS TITLE, SHALL SUBMIT A SECOND  REPORT  TO  THE
 GOVERNOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE
 ASSEMBLY, CONTAINING PROJECTIONS REGARDING THE SUSTAINABILITY AND UPKEEP
 COSTS OF THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS RECOMMENDED IN THE  FIRST  REPORT
 REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
   § 3. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
   9. TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE A MAPPING TOOL AND ASSISTANCE TO EACH PUBLIC
 SCHOOL  DISTRICT  IN CONVERTING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AS A PRIMARY
 SOURCE OF ENERGY PURSUANT TO TITLE NINE-D OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.