S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7686
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SHRESTHA, MAMDANI, SIMON, BURDICK, GONZALEZ-RO-
JAS, GALLAGHER, SAYEGH, WOERNER, KIM, MEEKS, CUNNINGHAM, SHIMSKY,
STIRPE, EPSTEIN, DAVILA, SIMONE, STECK, EACHUS, RIVERA, KELLES, RAMOS,
MITAYNES, ANDERSON, LEVENBERG, FORREST, SEAWRIGHT, ALVAREZ, TAPIA --
read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
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 (d) of subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of the public
authorities law, as amended by section 28 of part O of chapter 58 of the
laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
(d) No later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
this subdivision, and annually thereafter, the authority shall confer
with the New York state energy research and development authority, the
department of public service, climate and resiliency experts, labor
organizations, and environmental justice and community organizations
concerning the state's progress on meeting the renewable energy goals
established by the climate leadership and community protection act. AT
EACH BOARD OF TRUSTEES' MEETING, THERE SHALL BE A PUBLIC REPORT DELIV-
ERED AND PUBLISHED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUTHORI-
TY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC PLAN. THE AUTHORITY SHALL
ALSO MAINTAIN A PUBLIC DASHBOARD DEMONSTRATING THEIR PROGRESS IN IMPLE-
MENTING THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC PLAN. When
exercising the authority provided for in paragraph (a) of this subdivi-
sion, the information developed through such conferral shall be used to
identify projects to help ensure that the state meets its goals under
the climate leadership and community protection act. Any conferral
provided for in this paragraph shall include consideration of the timing
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00523-02-5
A. 7686 2
of projects in the interconnection queue of the federally designated
electric bulk system operator for New York state, taking into account
both capacity factors or planned projects and the interconnection
queue's historical completion rate. A report on the information devel-
oped through such conferral shall be published and made accessible on
the website of the authority, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE BASIS
OF THE CONFERRAL REPORT. THE PUBLISHED BASIS SHALL INCLUDE NOTES FROM
THE CONFERRAL MEETINGS.
§ 3. Paragraph (d) 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:
(d) No later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
this subdivision, and annually thereafter, the authority shall confer
with the New York state energy research and development authority, the
office of renewable energy siting, the department of public service,
climate and resiliency experts, labor organizations, and environmental
justice and community organizations concerning the state's progress on
meeting the renewable energy goals established by the climate leadership
and community protection act. AT EACH BOARD OF TRUSTEES' MEETING, THERE
SHALL BE A PUBLIC REPORT DELIVERED AND PUBLISHED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC
PLAN. THE AUTHORITY SHALL ALSO MAINTAIN A PUBLIC DASHBOARD DEMONSTRAT-
ING THEIR PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY
GENERATION STRATEGIC PLAN. When exercising the authority provided for in
paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the information developed through
such conferral shall be used to identify projects to help ensure that
the state meets its goals under the climate leadership and community
protection act. Any conferral provided for in this paragraph shall
include consideration of the timing of projects in the interconnection
queue of the federally designated electric bulk system operator for New
York state, taking into account both capacity factors or planned
projects and the interconnection queue's historical completion rate. A
report on the information developed through such conferral shall be
published and made accessible on the website of the authority, INCLUD-
ING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE BASIS OF THE CONFERRAL REPORT. THE
PUBLISHED BASIS SHALL INCLUDE NOTES FROM THE CONFERRAL MEETINGS.
§ 4. Clauses (J) and (K) of subparagraph (iv) 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, are amended
to read as follows:
(J) the state's progress towards achieving the renewable energy goals
of the climate leadership and community protection act; [and]
(K) METHODOLOGIES AND MODELING SHOWING THEIR FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL
CAPABILITIES IN A VARIETY OF SCENARIOS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
BONDING CAPABILITIES, EXPECTED RETURN ON INVESTMENT, ENERGY NEEDS,
RENEWABLE PROGRESS, SITING POTENTIAL, GRID INTERCONNECTION, EXISTING
LABOR POOL NEEDS, AND JOB CREATION. THE STRATEGIC PLAN SHALL INCLUDE
QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENTS OF VARIOUS BORROWING SCENARIOS, INCLUDING USING
GREEN BONDS TO RAISE CAPITAL FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS
THE IMPACT THAT EACH SCENARIO WOULD HAVE ON THE AUTHORITY'S BOND RATING
AND THE ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL INTEREST EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH A POTEN-
TIAL RATING CHANGE. THE STRATEGIC PLAN SHALL ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR
LEVERAGING OTHER SOURCES OF CAPITAL WITHIN THE AUTHORITY, SUCH AS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, OTHER SOURCES OF STATE FUNDING, AND OPPORTU-
NITIES FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE; AND
(L) any other information the authority determines to be appropriate.
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§ 5. 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 STARTING
NO LATER THAN OCTOBER ELEVENTH, and shall hold at least [three] SIX
public hearings on the draft strategic plan in regionally diverse parts
of the state. IN-PERSON HEARINGS SHALL BE HELD IN LOCATIONS WITH ACCESS
TO PUBLIC TRANSIT. THE AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE AN OPTION FOR STAKEHOLD-
ERS TO SUBMIT COMMENTS REMOTELY AS WELL, AND INCORPORATE FEEDBACK FROM
SUCH SESSIONS AND WRITTEN COMMENTS INTO THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE STRATEGIC
PLAN. COMMENTS SHALL BE MADE PUBLIC NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS AFTER THE
COMMENT PERIOD ENDS.
§ 6. 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
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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.
§ 7. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the amend-
ments to paragraph (d) of subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of the public
authorities law made by section two of this act shall be subject to the
expiration and reversion of such paragraph pursuant to section 34 of
part O of chapter 58 of the laws of 2024, as amended, when upon such
date the provisions of section three of this act shall take effect.