Senate Bill S4571

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a floating solar incentive and education program

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2025-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:
Add §1885, Pub Auth L

2025-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the New York state energy research and development authority to establish a floating solar incentive and education program to provide information and resources including technical assistance, access to industry standards, and financing available through the authority or other public or private sector sources, to municipalities, developers, builders, design professionals, and potential owners for the construction of floating solar.

2025-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4571
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 7, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN  ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing
   a floating solar incentive and education program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public  authorities  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 1885 to read as follows:
   § 1885. FLOATING SOLAR INCENTIVE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM. 1. AS USED  IN
 THIS  SECTION  THE  TERM  "FLOATING SOLAR" SHALL MEAN SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC
 SYSTEMS MOUNTED ON FLOATING STRUCTURES OR PLATFORMS ON THE SURFACE OF  A
 BODY  OF  WATER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CANALS, LAKES, RESERVOIRS,
 AND PONDS.
   2. THE AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A FLOATING SOLAR  INCEN-
 TIVE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM PURSUANT TO STANDARDS AND CRITERIA PROMULGAT-
 ED  BY  THE  AUTHORITY  WHICH  SHALL  PROVIDE  INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
 INCLUDING  TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE,  ACCESS  TO  INDUSTRY  STANDARDS,  AND
 FINANCING  AVAILABLE  THROUGH  THE  AUTHORITY OR OTHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE
 SECTOR SOURCES, TO MUNICIPALITIES, DEVELOPERS, BUILDERS, DESIGN  PROFES-
 SIONALS, AND POTENTIAL OWNERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING SOLAR.
   3. THE PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A) GRANTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLOATING SOLAR;
   (B)  IDENTIFICATION OF BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES FOR SITING FLOAT-
 ING SOLAR PROJECTS THAT PROTECT THE ECOSYSTEMS OF BODIES OF WATER;
   (C) MONITORING ANY IMPACTS FLOATING SOLAR MAY HAVE ON  WATER  QUALITY,
 WATER CONSERVATION, AND ALGAE CONTROL; AND
   (D)  ESTABLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
 ABOUT SITING, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE,  AND  AVAILABLE  INCENTIVES  ON
 FLOATING SOLAR.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09075-01-5
 S. 4571                             2

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