Bill Text: NY A08453 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the dairy farm improved energy efficiency program; provides grants and low interest loans to dairy farms who make energy efficient improvements.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - referred to economic development [A08453 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A08453-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8453
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 16, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. MAGEE -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Economic Development
       AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
         relation to creating the dairy farm improved energy efficiency program
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Legislative  findings.   The legislature hereby finds and
    2  declares that due to their remote locations at the end of  the  electric
    3  grid  infrastructure,  farms  are  more difficult to service by electric
    4  utilities.  Strengthening the energy systems  of  individual  farms  and
    5  developing  micro-grids  in  remote areas will enhance the overall reli-
    6  ability of the electric system.   The  legislature  further  finds  that
    7  assisting  dairy  farms  with  high efficiency lighting, high efficiency
    8  pumping and cooling equipment, and other energy management systems, will
    9  result in significant energy savings and increased  milk  yields.    The
   10  legislature  hereby  declares that providing low cost tools and programs
   11  to farmers will help farm operations become more  efficient  and  reduce
   12  their cost of doing business.  Advancing new technologies will also help
   13  to  accelerate  the  development  of  the energy services industry, thus
   14  providing new and expanded job opportunities for New Yorkers.
   15    Therefore, the legislature seeks to provide funds to encourage  energy
   16  efficient dairy farms through grants and low interest loans for approved
   17  projects to stimulate the New York state dairy industry.
   18    S  2.  Section  1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting the
   19  New York state urban development corporation act, is amended by adding a
   20  new section 16-w to read as follows:
   21    S 16-W. DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY  PROGRAM.    1.    DEFI-
   22  NITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION:
   23    (A) "AUTHORITY" SHALL MEAN THE NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH DEVELOP-
   24  MENT AUTHORITY.
   25    (B)  "LOAN  FUND"  SHALL REFER TO THE DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFI-
   26  CIENCY LOAN FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   27    2. (A) THE CORPORATION, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF  THE  AUTHORITY,  SHALL
   28  ESTABLISH  A  DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOAN FUND TO PROVIDE
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02257-05-3
       A. 8453                             2
    1  GRANTS AND LOW INTEREST LOANS  TO  DAIRY  FARMS  FOR  ENERGY  EFFICIENCY
    2  PROJECTS AND ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.
    3    (B)  IN  ORDER  TO  BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS LOAN PROGRAM, A
    4  DAIRY FARM MUST HAVE AN ENERGY AUDIT PROVIDED  THROUGH  THE  AUTHORITY'S
    5  ENERGY AUDIT PROGRAM THAT HELPS CUSTOMERS MAKE INFORMED ELECTRICAL ENER-
    6  GY DECISIONS AND IMPLEMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES.
    7    3. (A) THE CORPORATION SHALL, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, PROVIDE
    8  FINANCIAL,  TECHNICAL OR OTHER ASSISTANCE FROM THE LOAN FUND TO ELIGIBLE
    9  DAIRY FARMS.
   10    (B) THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE GRANTS AND  LOW  INTEREST
   11  LOANS  FROM  THE LOAN FUND FOR ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO DAIRY FARMS.  TO
   12  BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH GRANTS AND LOANS, A DAIRY FARM  SHALL  IDENTIFY  AN
   13  ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND PROVIDE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION.
   14    (C)  GRANTS  OR  LOANS  PROVIDED  BY  THE CORPORATION MAY BE UP TO ONE
   15  HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   16    4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS OR LOW  INTEREST
   17  LOANS THROUGH THE LOAN FUND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   18    (A)  PRE-QUALIFIED MEASURES THAT ARE PROVEN COST EFFECTIVE INVESTMENTS
   19  WHICH REDUCE ENERGY USE;
   20    (B) CUSTOM MEASURES THAT PAY  FOR  THEMSELVES  IN  TEN  YEARS  THROUGH
   21  REDUCED ENERGY USE;
   22    (C)  PROCESS IMPROVEMENT MEASURES THAT REDUCE MANUFACTURING ENERGY USE
   23  ON A COST-PER-UNIT BASIS; AND
   24    (D) RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES THAT USE THE SUN, WIND, ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
   25  OF ANIMAL WASTES OR OTHER APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES TO GENERATE  HEAT  OR
   26  POWER.
   27    5.  APPLICATIONS  FOR  ASSISTANCE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS SECTION SHALL BE
   28  REVIEWED AND EVALUATED  BY  THE  CORPORATION  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE
   29  AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND CRITERIA SET FORTH IN
   30  THE RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE CORPORATION.
   31    6.  THE  CORPORATION  AND THE AUTHORITY SHALL SUBMIT AN ANNUAL WRITTEN
   32  REPORT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
   33  SENATE IDENTIFYING THE NUMBER OF DAIRY FARMS ASSISTED THROUGH  THE  LOAN
   34  FUND  PROGRAM, AND THE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS IMPLEMENTED AND ENERGY COST
   35  SAVINGS AND ANY OTHER BENEFITS REALIZED BY THE DAIRY FARMS  ASSISTED  BY
   36  THIS PROGRAM.
   37    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.