Parker’s Bill Reducing Electric Costs for New Yorkers Becomes Law

FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATOR KEVIN PARKER (D-21)

Contact: Ricja Rice ‌‌‌‌‌| rrice@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2580 ph |518-426-6843 fax

Parker’s Bill Reducing Electric Costs for New Yorkers Becomes Law

Micro hydroelectric generating equipment reduces reliance on fossil fuels

For Immediate Release: September 30, 2011

(Albany, NY)  Senator Parker’s Micro hydroelectric bill (S.1149) was signed into law by the Governor.  This legislation allows residential and non-residential customers utilizing micro-hydroelectric generating equipment to participate in net-metering.  It encourages small electrical customers to install environmentally friendly sources of electrical power saving them money on their electric bill and increasing the State’s use of clean renewable resources.

“This law is great addition to our State’s push for less reliance on outside sources and more use of New York’s energy efficient resources,” states Parker.  The legislation was one of seven bills Senator Parker proposed in his Alternative Energy Package released this May in his continuous efforts to reduce New York’s reliance on foreign oil and increase New York’s use of alternative energy resources.

 “Including micro-hydro electric is a win-win situation.  It reduces costs to consumers, creates jobs, and saves our environment,” continued Parker.

Net-metering is a way for residential and non-residential customers to use alternative energy to reduce their electric bills by attaching an alternative generating system to their existing meter to off-set the electric usage.  Net metering is now available in New York for micro hydroelectric, solar, farm waste, non-residential solar electric generating systems, micro-combined heat and power  generating  equipment, and fuel cell electric generating equipment. 

About Senator Kevin Parker

Senator Kevin S. Parker is intimately familiar with the needs of his ethnically diverse community that consists of 311,000 constituents in Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington and Borough Park. He is the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, former Majority Whip and First Vice Chair or the Association of Black, Puerto Rican Asian Legislators.

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