S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1456
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. KAVANAGH, COONEY, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HOYLMAN-SI-
   GAL, JACKSON, KRUEGER, MAY, PARKER -- read twice and ordered  printed,
   and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Tele-
   communications
 
 AN ACT to amend the energy law, the environmental conservation law,  the
   public  authorities law, and the general municipal law, in relation to
   requiring certain watercraft, aircraft, and trains  to  be  zero-emis-
   sions; and to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requir-
   ing  NYSERDA to conduct certain studies and requiring certain monetary
   incentives for clean energy vehicles
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The energy law is amended by adding a new section 5-108-b
 to read as follows:
   § 5-108-B. PURCHASE OF ZERO-EMISSION FERRIES. THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL
 PROMULGATE  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS WHICH SHALL REQUIRE THAT ALL FERRIES
 PURCHASED BY OR FOR THE STATE OR ANY AGENCY OR PUBLIC AUTHORITY THEREOF,
 OR ANY PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN ANY FISCAL YEAR WHICH COMMENCES
 ON OR AFTER APRIL FIRST, TWO  THOUSAND  THIRTY-TWO,  PRODUCE  ZERO-EMIS-
 SIONS.    PRIVATELY LICENSED FERRIES THAT RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE STATE
 OR ANY AGENCY OR PUBLIC AUTHORITY THEREOF, WHERE SUCH FUNDS ARE PROVIDED
 TO SUBSIDIZE A  PARTICULAR  ROUTE,  SHALL,  IN  ANY  FISCAL  YEAR  WHICH
 COMMENCES  ON  OR  AFTER  APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND THIRTY-TWO, PURCHASE
 ZERO-EMISSION FERRIES TO SERVICE THAT PARTICULAR ROUTE.
   § 2. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 19-0306-c to read as follows:
 § 19-0306-C. PUBLIC VESSEL EMISSIONS REGULATIONS.
   1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS WHICH SHALL
 REQUIRE THAT ALL PUBLIC VESSELS OPERATING IN THE NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE
 STATE  SHALL  PRODUCE ZERO OR NEAR ZERO-EMISSIONS BY TWO THOUSAND FORTY-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02781-01-5
 S. 1456                             2
              

 
 TWO. PUBLIC VESSELS MAY ONLY UTILIZE FOSSIL FUEL-BASED ENGINES AS  RANGE
 EXTENDERS.
   2.  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO COMMERCIAL FISH-
 ING BOATS,  OCEAN-GOING  SHIPS  OR  PUBLIC  VESSELS  TRANSPORTING  GOODS
 THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES.
   3.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "PUBLIC VESSEL" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF
 SUBDIVISION SIX OF SECTION TWO OF THE NAVIGATION LAW;
   (B) "NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE STATE" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS  IN
 SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION TWO OF THE NAVIGATION LAW;
   (C)  "FOSSIL FUEL" SHALL MEAN COAL, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND FUEL GASES;
 AND
   (D) "RANGE EXTENDER" SHALL MEAN A FUEL-BASED AUXILIARY POWER UNIT THAT
 EXTENDS THE RANGE OF AN ELECTRIC VESSEL BY PROVIDING POWER TO  AN  ELEC-
 TRIC GENERATOR THAT CHARGES THE VESSEL'S BATTERY.
   §  3.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
 1885 to read as follows:
   § 1885. STUDY ON ZERO-EMISSION COMMERCIAL VESSELS.  1.  THE  NEW  YORK
 STATE ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND
 DIRECTED TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TO ANALYZE THE NEED FOR CHARG-
 ING  STATIONS ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE NEW YORK STATE CANAL SYSTEM
 TO ACCOMMODATE ZERO-EMISSION COMMERCIAL VESSELS.
   2. SUCH STUDY SHALL EXAMINE, AT A MINIMUM:
   (A) THE CURRENT ELECTRIC VESSEL INFRASTRUCTURE,  INCLUDING  AN  EVALU-
 ATION  OF  REVENUE  ALLOCATION OPTIONS TO ASSIST IN AN EXPANSION OF SUCH
 INFRASTRUCTURE;
   (B) THE VOLUME OF COMMERCIAL BARGE OPERATIONS, INCLUDING  AN  ESTIMATE
 OF  THE  NUMBER OF CHARGING STATIONS NECESSARY TO SUPPLY SUCH OPERATIONS
 UPON A  TRANSITION  OF  COMMERCIAL  BARGE  OPERATIONS  TO  ZERO-EMISSION
 VESSELS;
   (C) ANY SAFETY IMPLICATIONS CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELECTRIC
 VESSEL INFRASTRUCTURE; AND
   (D)  ANY  NEGATIVE  IMPACTS  THAT  MAY RESULT FROM THE INSTALLATION OF
 CHARGING STATIONS.
   3. THE AUTHORITY SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS  TO
 THE  GOVERNOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF
 THE ASSEMBLY NO LATER THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   §  4.  Subdivision  1  of section 352 of the general municipal law, as
 amended by chapter 904 of the laws  of  1947,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  Construct, develop, improve, equip, maintain and operate the same,
 PROVIDED THAT, NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND THIRTY-TWO, ALL
 GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT USED BY ANY PUBLIC AIRPORT SHALL BE  ZERO-EMIS-
 SION GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT.
   §  5.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
 1886 to read as follows:
   § 1886. STUDY ON PUBLICLY FUNDED AIRPORTS.   1.  THE  AUTHORITY  SHALL
 CONDUCT  A  STUDY  OF  ALL  PUBLICLY FUNDED AIRPORTS WITHIN THE STATE TO
 ASSESS THE  FINANCIAL  VIABILITY  OF  USING  RENEWABLE  ENERGY  IN  SUCH
 AIRPORTS.  SUCH STUDY SHALL EXAMINE THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES,
 INCLUDING  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO, GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, SOLAR ENERGY AND WIND
 ENERGY, FOR ON-SITE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY.  SUCH STUDY SHALL FURTHER
 EXAMINE, AT A MINIMUM:
 S. 1456                             3

   (A) THE COST OF EACH SUCH SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPARED  TO  THE
 COST OF NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES;
   (B) THE EFFICIENCY OF EACH SUCH SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPARED TO
 THE EFFICIENCY OF NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; AND
   (C) ANY SAFETY IMPLICATIONS FOR EACH SUCH SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY.
   2.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO
 THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER  OF
 THE  ASSEMBLY  NO LATER THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SECTION.
   § 6. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 27 to read as follows:
   27. TO ADMINISTER A PROGRAM, USING FUNDS PROVIDED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, TO
 PROVIDE A GRANT TO COMMERCIAL FLYING SCHOOL AND NON-PROFIT FLYING  CLUBS
 TO INSTALL CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE APPLICABLE TO FEDERAL AVIATION ADMIN-
 ISTRATION  CERTIFIED  ELECTRIC  AIRCRAFT. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH GRANT,
 FLYING SCHOOLS AND FLYING CLUBS SHALL BE BASED AT  AIRPORTS  LOCATED  IN
 THIS  STATE.  ANY FLYING CLUB SEEKING SUCH GRANT SHALL HAVE NO LESS THAN
 TWENTY-FIVE MEMBERS. PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO FLYING SCHOOL  AND  NON-
 PROFIT FLYING CLUBS THAT HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR AT LEAST FIVE CONSEC-
 UTIVE YEARS.
   §  7.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
 1887 to read as follows:
   § 1887. STUDY ON SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL.  1.  THE  AUTHORITY  SHALL
 CONDUCT  A  STUDY  TO  DETERMINE  HOW TO MAKE SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL,
 CERTIFIED PER APPLICABLE STANDARDS SUCH AS THE ROUNDTABLE ON SUSTAINABLE
 BIOMATERIALS STANDARDS OR THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
 STANDARDS, MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE AT AIRPORTS IN THE STATE, USING LOCALLY
 SOURCED BIOMASS AS FEEDSTOCK FOR THE FUEL WHENEVER FEASIBLE.  SUCH STUDY
 SHALL EXAMINE, AT A MINIMUM:
   (A) THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN THE STATE TO CREATE SUCH  SUSTAINA-
 BLE FUEL;
   (B) THE COST FOR CREATING SUCH FUEL;
   (C)  THE  COST  TO  IMPLEMENT  THE  USE  OF SUCH FUEL WITHIN THE STATE
 COMPARED TO THE COST OF MAINTAINING  THE  USE  OF  TRADITIONAL  AVIATION
 FUEL; AND
   (D) ANY SAFETY IMPLICATIONS CONCERNING THE USE OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION
 FUEL.
   2.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO
 THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER  OF
 THE  ASSEMBLY  NO LATER THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SECTION.
   § 8. Section 1266 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 20 to read as follows:
   20. NO LATER  THAN  JANUARY  FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND  THIRTY-SEVEN,  THE
 AUTHORITY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPA-
 NY,  THE  LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE METRO-
 POLITAN TRANSPORTATION  AUTHORITY,  SHALL  REQUIRE  THAT  ALL  PASSENGER
 TRAINS  OPERATED  BY  THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAIL ROAD COMPANY AND THE
 LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD, AND ALL WORK TRAINS IN THE SUBWAY SYSTEM OPERATED
 BY THE METROPOLITAN  TRANSPORTATION  AUTHORITY  SHALL  BE  ZERO-EMISSION
 TRAINS.    ANY  BRANCH OF THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY THAT
 OPERATES WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY IN  NEW  JERSEY  OR  CONNECTICUT  SHALL  BE
 EXEMPT FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 9. This act shall take effect immediately.