Bill Text: NY A05941 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enacts the New York Sun Act of 2017; establishes a solar energy incentive and financing program.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 44-6)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - referred to energy [A05941 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A05941-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5941
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 17, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, HEVESI, BRINDISI, ABINANTI, OTIS,
          LIFTON,   THIELE,   QUART,   LUPARDO,   STIRPE,   CRESPO,   GOTTFRIED,
          PEOPLES-STOKES,  COLTON,  SKARTADOS,  ROZIC, JAFFEE, TITONE, SANTABAR-
          BARA, MAGNARELLI, COOK, STECK, PAULIN, RAIA, KEARNS,  SKOUFIS,  ROSEN-
          THAL,  BUCHWALD,  SIMANOWITZ,  KAVANAGH,  GUNTHER,  MONTESANO, CAHILL,
          BARRETT, PERRY, BENEDETTO, MOYA, DINOWITZ, BRAUNSTEIN, AUBRY,  WEPRIN,
          FAHY,  JOHNS  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CROUCH, GALEF, GLICK,
          LENTOL,  LOPEZ,  MAGEE,  McDONALD,  McDONOUGH,  McKEVITT,  McLAUGHLIN,
          RIVERA,  RODRIGUEZ,  SOLAGES,  WALTER -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Energy
        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation  to  establishing  a
          solar incentive and financing program
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  the "New York sun act of 2017".
     3    § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-o to
     4  read as follows:
     5    §  66-o.  Solar  incentive  and  financing program. 1. As used in this
     6  section:
     7    (a) "Electric distribution company" means an  investor-owned  electric
     8  corporation  that distributes and delivers electricity within this state
     9  and has annual revenues in excess of two hundred million dollars; and
    10    (b) (i) "Qualified  solar  photovoltaic  generating  system"  means  a
    11  system  of  components that generates electricity from sunlight by means
    12  of the photovoltaic effect, whether or not the device is coupled with  a
    13  device capable of storing the energy produced for later use, that is (A)
    14  installed  and  operated in the state within one of the service territo-
    15  ries of an electric distribution company as defined in this section, and
    16  (B) installed after January first, two thousand eighteen.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03881-01-7
        A. 5941                             2
     1    (ii) a  qualified  solar  photovoltaic  generating  system  shall  not
     2  include:  (A)  a  solar photovoltaic generating system owned by a public
     3  authority, where such authority does not consume all of the  electricity
     4  produced  and  instead  sells  all  or  a portion of said electricity to
     5  another  entity,  other  than  when  said  authority uses such system to
     6  engage in net energy metering as defined in paragraph (c) of subdivision
     7  one of section sixty-six-j of this article, and (B) a solar photovoltaic
     8  generating system that is owned by an electric distribution company.
     9    2. Within forty-five days of the effective date of this  section,  the
    10  commission  shall  commence  the  consideration  of modifications to its
    11  existing programs that encourage  the  development  of  qualified  solar
    12  photovoltaic  generating systems and, no later than September first, two
    13  thousand eighteen, the commission shall make a determination  establish-
    14  ing  modifications  to its existing programs that encourage the develop-
    15  ment of qualified solar photovoltaic generating systems  in  conformance
    16  with  this section. The department shall consult with the New York state
    17  energy research and development authority  in  the  preparation  of  its
    18  recommendations  to  the  commission for such determination. The program
    19  modifications shall require:
    20    (a) administration by the New York state energy research and  develop-
    21  ment authority;
    22    (b)  planned  statewide  annual  expenditures including all costs of a
    23  minimum of one hundred fifty million dollars, taking into  consideration
    24  the  solar-based programs administered by the Long Island power authori-
    25  ty, commencing in calendar year two thousand eighteen and sustained each
    26  year through calendar year two thousand twenty-seven;
    27    (c) a diversity of project sizes, geographic distribution, and partic-
    28  ipation among customer classes, subject to cost-effectiveness  consider-
    29  ations;
    30    (d) incentive or financing structures that maximize cost-effectiveness
    31  and  practicality  through  competitive  procurements,  standing-offers,
    32  production incentives or capacity incentives at the wholesale or  retail
    33  level  as  in the judgment of the commission provide for the most effec-
    34  tive program;
    35    (e) for projects exceeding one hundred kilowatts, incentive or financ-
    36  ing structures that take into consideration the economic benefits to the
    37  state;
    38    (f) program designs that take  into  consideration  the  avoidance  of
    39  long-term  costs to the transmission and distribution system and minimi-
    40  zation of peak load in constrained areas;
    41    (g) annual reports  on  the  achievements  and  effectiveness  of  the
    42  program; and
    43    (h) such other issues deemed appropriate by the commission.
    44    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.