NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7284

Senate Bill S7284

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Directs the department of public service, in conjunction with other agencies to commission a study on the utilization of directional noise reduction optimization technology for wind turbines in New York state

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 08, 2025	referred to energy and telecommunications

2025-S7284 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Services

2025-S7284 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of public service, in conjunction with the New York state energy research and development authority, and the power authority of the state of New York to commission a study on the utilization of directional noise reduction optimization technology for wind turbines in New York state.

2025-S7284 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7284

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act directing the department of public service, New York state energy
research and development authority, and the power authority of the state
of New York to commission a study on the utilization of directional
noise reduction optimization technology for wind turbines in New York
state

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to better understand the use of DNRO tech-
nology on onshore wind renewable energy projects.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Requires the Department of Public Service, New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority and the New York Power Author-
ity to commission a study on the utilization of DNRO technology for wind
turbines in NYS.

Section 2. Stipulates specific requirements which must be a part of the
study.

Section 3. Provides that upon completion, recommendations shall be made,
if appropriate, as to any statutory or regulatory amendments needed.

Section 4. Provides that the study shall be commissioned within 180 days
of the effective date and recommendations provided to the legislature
within one year of such commissioning date.

Section 5. Sets an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Article VIII of the New York State Public Service Law (NY Pub. Serv.
Law § 160 et seq.) consolidates the environmental review, permitting,
and siting of major renewable energy facilities in the State and
includes specific requirements concerning sound levels for wind turbines
to ensure they operate within acceptable noise limits and minimize
impacts on surrounding communities.  If noise levels exceed the permis-
sible limits in Article VIII or other applicable laws, wind turbine
operators must implement mitigation measures to reduce sound to accepta-
ble levels. These measures can include technological adjustments to the
turbines such as curtailing turbine operation during certain times and
under certain wind conditions. These technological adjustments are often
referred to as Noise Reduced Operations or NROs. When a turbine operates
in an NRO mode, the turbine operates at reduced capacity with reduced
energy output. To address this loss of capacity, modern wind turbine
manufacturers offer Directional Noise Reduction Optimization or DNRO,
which activates these technological adjustments only when wind direction
is within a certain range. While reducing noise in certain directions,
the turbine can still operate at optimal power in other wind directions,
this allows for noise mitigation without significantly impacting power
production in most wind conditions.  DNRO represents an innovative
approach to managing noise emissions of wind turbines while enhancing
their operational efficiency. This study aims to provide the necessary
scientific and technical data to inform policy decisions and ensure that
New York State can maximize its renewable energy output while maintain-
ing compliance with noise regulations.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect immediately.

2025-S7284 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7284
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 8, 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 directing the department of public service, New York state energy
   research  and  development  authority,  and the power authority of the
   state of New York to commission a study on the utilization  of  direc-
   tional  noise  reduction  optimization technology for wind turbines in
   New York state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The department of public service, in conjunction with the
 New York state energy research and development authority, and the  power
 authority  of  the  state  of  New  York shall commission a study on the
 utilization of directional noise reduction optimization  technology  for
 wind turbines in New York state. The study shall evaluate the effective-
 ness  of directional noise reduction optimization technology in reducing
 noise levels and its impact on energy production as compared with  other
 operational methods of reducing wind turbine noise levels.
   § 2. Such study shall include:
   a.  an  assessment  of  current  operational  noise mitigation methods
 implemented across New York State at currently  operating  wind  facili-
 ties;
   b.  an  assessment  of  the  current  deployment  of directional noise
 reduction optimization in wind turbines within New York state and  other
 regions with similar conditions, as appropriate;
   c.  an analysis of existing peer-reviewed studies on directional noise
 reduction optimization and  related  noise  reduction  technologies,  if
 available;
   d.  an  analysis  of  current directional noise reduction optimization
 technology, including existing directional noise reduction  optimization
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11566-01-5
 S. 7284                             2

 
 technologies  and  their effectiveness in different environmental condi-
 tions;
   e.  collaboration  with existing wind facilities within New York state
 to gather data on noise levels, turbine operations, and  energy  output,
 at  facilities  implementing  directional  noise  reduction optimization
 compared with facilities implementing other  noise  mitigation  methods;
 and
   f.  a  comparison  of  energy  production of turbines with and without
 directional noise reduction optimization  implementation  under  various
 operational conditions, including a comparison of energy production with
 noise  reduction  techniques that more broadly apply these techniques in
 all wind directions.
   § 3. Upon completion of the study, the department of  public  service,
 in  conjunction  with the New York state energy research and development
 authority, and the power authority of the state of New York shall joint-
 ly provide recommendations for  the  utilization  of  directional  noise
 reduction  optimization  technology  in  the  state and, if appropriate,
 suggest statutory or regulatory amendments needed to support  the  inte-
 gration  of  directional  noise  reduction  optimization  in the state's
 renewable energy strategy.
   § 4. The study shall be commissioned within one hundred eighty days of
 the effective date of this act and submitted, with  recommendations,  to
 the legislature within one year from the date of such commissioning.
   § 5. This act shall be effective immediately.

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