Bill Text: NY S09006 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to the construction of new geothermal, dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle plant facilities in New York state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-09 - REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS [S09006 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S09006-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9006 IN SENATE April 9, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations AN ACT to amend the energy law, in relation to the creation of geother- mal facilities in New York state The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The energy law is amended by adding a new section 3-105 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 3-105. Geothermal facilities. New geothermal, dry steam, flash 4 steam, and binary cycle plant facilities shall be created and installed 5 on an expedited process, in conjunction with the following guidelines: 6 1. Such facilities shall be constructed on sites that are pre-approved 7 by the public service commission, the New York state energy research and 8 development authority, the New York power authority, or other identified 9 state-approved organizations which specialize in the construction, 10 production, and distribution of energy. 11 2. Such facilities shall be capable of completing efficient and safe- 12 ty-approved construction and willing to operate in compliance with the 13 environmental conservation law to perform the safe capture and harness- 14 ing of geothermal energy. 15 3. All geothermal companies and such companies' operating partners and 16 affiliates shall go through annual inspections starting one year after 17 completion of construction, maximizing the safety of the energy facility 18 and the surrounding local area of said facility. Such annual inspections 19 will be conducted by the state, the public service commission, the New 20 York state energy research and development authority, the New York power 21 authority, or other identified state-approved organizations which 22 specialize in the construction, production, and distribution of energy. 23 4. The public service commission, the New York state energy research 24 and development authority, or any other competent authority that geoth- 25 ermal energy production may fall under, shall oversee the mapping, 26 tracking, and reporting of areas that have been approved and cited as EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15135-01-4S. 9006 2 1 ready for geothermal-capable facilities to be erected on approved 2 grounding sites. 3 5. The documented information for the readying of construction and 4 installation of such facilities shall be made public on a state agency 5 website for a minimum of thirty days allowing for public comment on the 6 approved site if the cited area is in conjunction with a local munici- 7 pality, and/or would change the overall agricultural land in the 8 approved area. However, if there are no adverse effects to the local 9 municipality, the thirty-day comment period shall be closed with no need 10 for further review, and construction of the facility may commence effec- 11 tive immediately. 12 6. The construction and integration of energy systems to the desig- 13 nated approved area may expedite approval time of permits with the 14 hiring of a bonafide or state-approved local union to take on the prima- 15 ry roles of installation and construction of the new facility fitting, 16 or retrofitting as in the case of older fossil fuel facilities that are 17 capable of being retrofitted for geothermal energy production, for the 18 process of bringing in new geothermal power production facilities for 19 dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. 20 7. Geothermal companies shall be deemed eligible for state funding and 21 grants if they employ and retain more than sixty percent of the work- 22 force from New York state residents and/or local unions for continued 23 employment beyond the original base construction of the facility. 24 8. The mapping process shall include, but not be limited to the inte- 25 gration of the area that has been approved to be a newly-formed facility 26 site which is capable of reasonably and timely connecting to pre-exist- 27 ing lines as well as, the creation of new lines to interconnect with the 28 new geothermal energy source, and any other new or pre-existing renewa- 29 ble energy source that may provide a sufficient, safe, reliable, and 30 affordable commodity for existing and new structures. Residential hous- 31 ing shall take connection priority, followed by commercial building 32 structures, with the goal being a sustainable source able to maintain 33 and sustain the surrounding structure and provide enough energy to build 34 out more in-depth battery storage and energy supply for the entirety of 35 New York. 36 9. The adoption and build out of geothermal energy facilities and 37 their distribution of stored energy will not preclude, exclude, or elim- 38 inate the continued adoption of any and all other renewable energy 39 sources that would aid in the ability to create a sustainable, afforda- 40 ble and clean energy efficient New York, and shall not remove or super- 41 sede any current renewable energy projects that have already been 42 approved, have already started construction, or have been deemed a valu- 43 able piece of clean energy provisions for the state. 44 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
