Bill Text: NY S02689 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Enacts the "Renewable Capitol act"; requires the office of general services, in consultation with the power authority of the state of New York, to ensure that all operations that power, heat or cool the empire state plaza complex shall entirely use renewable energy systems; requires the office of general services to establish an advisory committee to advise the office of general services on the preparation, design and content of a plan for the use of renewable energy systems.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-07 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S02689 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S02689-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         2689--C

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 24, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  BRESLIN, BRISPORT, GONZALEZ, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM,
          HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KRUEGER, MAY, MAYER, SALAZAR, SANDERS --  read
          twice  and  ordered  printed,  and when printed to be committed to the
          Committee on Procurement and Contracts -- reported favorably from said
          committee and committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
          cations  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
          amended and recommitted  to  said  committee  --  recommitted  to  the
          Committee  on Procurement and Contracts in accordance with Senate Rule
          6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
          amended  and  recommitted  to  said committee -- committee discharged,
          bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said
          committee

        AN  ACT  to  amend the executive law, the public authorities law and the
          public buildings law, in relation  to  the  utilization  of  renewable
          energy at state-owned facilities in Albany

          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 "Renewable Capitol Act".
     3    §  2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 204 to read
     4  as follows:
     5    § 204. Renewable capitol project. 1. For the purpose of this  section,
     6  the following terms shall have the following meanings:
     7    (a)  The  "advisory  committee"  shall  mean the committee established
     8  pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision three of this section.
     9    (b) The "CLCPA" shall mean the New York state climate  leadership  and
    10  community  protection act enacted as chapter one hundred six of the laws
    11  of two thousand nineteen, as it shall from time to time be amended.
    12    (c) "Co-pollutants" shall have the same meaning as set forth in subdi-
    13  vision three of section 75-0101 of the environmental conservation law.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07366-06-4

        S. 2689--C                          2

     1    (d) "Emergency generator" shall mean  the  set  of  diesel  generators
     2  located  on Sheridan Avenue in Albany, New York as of the effective date
     3  of this section, that are intended  to  power  the  empire  state  plaza
     4  complex  during  an emergency fault condition causing an interruption to
     5  normal electricity service from the grid.
     6    (e)  "Empire  state  plaza  complex"  or  the "complex" shall mean the
     7  complex of state-owned buildings and the land  thereon  in  Albany,  New
     8  York  that utilize the steam distribution network of the Sheridan Avenue
     9  steam plant, including what are popularly known as Empire  State  Plaza,
    10  the State Capitol Building, the State Museum, the Alfred E. Smith Build-
    11  ing,  the State Education Building, the Sheridan Avenue steam plant, and
    12  the former Albany New York Solid Waste Energy Recovery System  incinera-
    13  tor building.
    14    (f)  "Greenhouse  gas"  shall  have  the  same meaning as set forth in
    15  subdivision seven of section 75-0101 of the  environmental  conservation
    16  law.
    17    (g)  The  "local community" shall mean the portion of Albany, New York
    18  designated as the local community under the plan, which  shall  include,
    19  at  a  minimum,  the  Albany Sheridan Hollow, Arbor Hill, Center Square,
    20  Mansion, Washington Park, West Hill and South End neighborhoods.
    21    (h) "NYSERDA" shall mean the New York state energy research and devel-
    22  opment authority created under section eighteen hundred fifty-two of the
    23  public authorities law.
    24    (i) The "office of general services" or the "office"  shall  mean  the
    25  agency created under section two hundred of this article.
    26    (j) The "empire state plaza decarbonization plan" or "plan" shall mean
    27  the plan set forth in subdivision three of this section, and mandated by
    28  this section and section ninety-one of the public buildings law.
    29    (k)  The  "project"  shall  mean  the  work  on the empire state plaza
    30  complex mandated by this section and section ninety-one  of  the  public
    31  buildings law.
    32    (l)  A  "power purchase agreement" shall mean an agreement between two
    33  parties, the seller and the buyer, to enter  into  a  contractual  obli-
    34  gation for the purchase of electricity.
    35    (m)  "Renewable  energy  systems" means systems that entirely generate
    36  electricity or thermal energy through use of the following technologies:
    37  solar thermal, photovoltaics, on land and offshore wind,  hydroelectric,
    38  geothermal  electric,  geothermal ground source heat, tidal energy, wave
    39  energy, ocean thermal, and fuel cells which do not utilize a fossil fuel
    40  resource in the process of generating electricity or thermal energy.
    41    (n) "Sheridan Avenue steam plant" shall mean the steam plant  facility
    42  owned  by New York state located as of the time of the effective date of
    43  this section at 79 Sheridan Avenue in Albany, New York.
    44    2. (a) Within three years after the effective date  of  this  section,
    45  the office of general services, in consultation with the power authority
    46  of  the  state of New York, shall ensure that all operations that power,
    47  heat or cool the empire state plaza complex shall entirely use renewable
    48  energy systems. In satisfying this requirement, the  office  may  demon-
    49  strate  that  the  amount  of  electrical energy credited to the complex
    50  annually from renewable sources through a power  purchase  agreement  or
    51  similar  instrument  is  not  less  than the amount of electrical energy
    52  consumed annually by the  complex.  Notwithstanding  this  mandate,  the
    53  emergency  generator shall be permitted to utilize non-renewable energy,
    54  but the office shall be empowered to retire  or  convert  the  emergency
    55  generator to wholly or entirely utilize renewables if possible.

        S. 2689--C                          3

     1    (b)  The  project and the empire state plaza complex shall comply with
     2  the CLCPA, and any rules and  regulations  issued  thereunder,  and,  in
     3  particular,  section  seven  of  such  law; the statewide greenhouse gas
     4  emissions limits set forth  in  section  75-0107  of  the  environmental
     5  conservation  law;  and  the  targets  established in subdivision two of
     6  section sixty-six-p of the public service law. Nothing in this paragraph
     7  shall preclude the office from mandating lower greenhouse gas  emissions
     8  limits  or  compliance with greenhouse gas emissions limits in a shorter
     9  timeframe than set forth in section 75-0107 of the environmental conser-
    10  vation law, or in mandating a higher percentage of renewables  or  in  a
    11  shorter  timeframe than in subdivision two of section sixty-six-p of the
    12  public service law. Except in regard to the provision regarding  to  the
    13  emergency  generator  as set forth in paragraph (a) of this subdivision,
    14  any action taken in  furtherance  of  the  project  that  leads  to  any
    15  increase in the emissions of greenhouse gases shall be deemed inconsist-
    16  ent with and in interference with the attainment of the statewide green-
    17  house  gas  emissions  limits established in article seventy-five of the
    18  environmental conservation law and therefore shall trigger  the  process
    19  set forth in subdivision two of section seven of the CLCPA.
    20    3.    (a) Within sixty days of the effective date of this section, the
    21  office shall establish an advisory committee to advise it on the  prepa-
    22  ration, design and content of the plan.  Such plan shall be completed no
    23  later  than January thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six.  The advisory
    24  committee shall consist of the commissioner of the department  of  envi-
    25  ronmental  conservation  and  the chief executive officer of NYSERDA, or
    26  their designees, and additional members which shall be appointed by such
    27  commissioner in consultation  with  such  chief  executive  officer,  as
    28  follows:  three  representatives  of  Albany community organizations, at
    29  least two of which are from organizations whose mission, in whole or  in
    30  part,  is  to  represent the interests of the Arbor Hill and/or Sheridan
    31  Hollow neighborhoods in Albany; two additional representatives of  local
    32  environmental  justice organizations; one individual not employed by New
    33  York state with recognized expertise in renewable  energy;  a  represen-
    34  tative  of labor organizations; a scientist with expertise in energy and
    35  climate policy; an engineer with expertise in energy (including geother-
    36  mal) and climate policy; and the mayor of Albany or his or her designee.
    37  The advisory committee shall meet at  least  three  times  annually,  or
    38  additional  times as the committee shall by majority vote determine.  At
    39  such meetings, which shall be open to  the  public,  the  office,  among
    40  other  things,  shall  report  on  the  progress  made in completing the
    41  project and otherwise implementing this section. The advisory  committee
    42  members  shall  receive  no compensation for their services but shall be
    43  reimbursed for their actual  and  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  the
    44  performance  of  their duties. All agencies of the state or subdivisions
    45  thereof may, at the request of the advisory panel or the office, provide
    46  the advisory panel with such facilities, assistance  and  data  as  will
    47  enable the advisory panel to carry out its powers and duties.
    48    (b)  Each  member  of  the advisory committee shall be entitled to one
    49  vote.  No action may be taken by the advisory committee unless there  is
    50  a  quorum,  which shall at all times be a majority of the members of the
    51  committee.
    52    (c) The office shall retain a third party to  perform  an  engineering
    53  study to be completed within one hundred eighty days after the effective
    54  date  of  this  section,  which  shall consider the matters set forth in
    55  paragraph (f) of this subdivision and any other matters consistent  with
    56  this  section  that  the  office  shall direct. For the purposes of this

        S. 2689--C                          4

     1  paragraph, the term "third party" shall mean  a  professional  engineer,
     2  not  employed by the state of New York, or an engineering firm, provided
     3  that none of the engineers employed by such firm shall also be  employed
     4  by the state of New York.
     5    (d)  The  office  shall be transparent in its work to develop the plan
     6  and shall maintain a website where a  draft  plan  and  other  documents
     7  relevant  to  its development shall be posted for public review at least
     8  fourteen days prior to the first of the public hearings mandated by this
     9  paragraph. The advisory committee shall hold at least two  public  hear-
    10  ings  at  least  sixty  days  prior to the release of the final plan, of
    11  which one shall be held in the Arbor Hill or Sheridan  Hollow  neighbor-
    12  hoods  and  one  shall be held during the evening or weekend hours.  The
    13  advisory committee shall  make  provisions  for  online  and  telephonic
    14  attendance  and  participation.  At such public hearings, the draft plan
    15  shall be made available in written form for those physically  attending.
    16  Provisions shall also be made for written comments on the draft plan.
    17    (e)  The plan shall contain recommendations on regulatory measures and
    18  other state actions to ensure that the mandates in subdivisions two  and
    19  three of this section and section ninety-one of the public buildings law
    20  are met. The measures and actions set forth in the plan shall include:
    21    i.  a timeline for planned steps toward the completion of the project,
    22  including, but not limited to construction of the project and  obtaining
    23  the  necessary permits to begin operation.  The timeline should maximize
    24  the potential for achieving, and if feasible  making  greater  emissions
    25  reductions  than the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits set forth
    26  in section 75-0107 of the environmental conservation law and meeting the
    27  other mandates of the CLCPA;
    28    ii. measures to maximize the benefits to the local community,  includ-
    29  ing prioritizing the reduction of greenhouse gases and co-pollutants and
    30  improving public health in the local community;
    31    iii.  measures  to  optimize  thermal load sharing, energy efficiency,
    32  demand response, and energy conservation;
    33    iv. comprehensive consideration of renewable heat exchange systems  or
    34  a  combination  of such systems to meet the heating and cooling needs of
    35  the empire state plaza complex, including but not limited to: geothermal
    36  heat exchange with the earth, geothermal heat exchange with  the  Hudson
    37  River, open-loop and closed-loop geothermal heat exchange with the aqui-
    38  fer,  heat  exchange  with  potable  water  supplies, heat recovery from
    39  wastewater sources, air-source heat pump technology, and  thermal  stor-
    40  age,  provided  that  such systems do not use combustion-based or fossil
    41  fuel energy;
    42    v. prioritization of electricity procurement  from  renewable  sources
    43  within  New  York Independent System Operator (NYISO) Zone F, especially
    44  sources most capable of providing  electricity  serving  real-time  load
    45  conditions  of  the  empire state plaza complex. This shall include, but
    46  not be limited to, consideration of  projects  that  expand  electricity
    47  generation from ecologically-responsible, run-of-the-river hydroelectric
    48  facilities within the region; and
    49    vi.    electricity service upgrades for the empire state plaza complex
    50  necessary to support measures identified in this section.
    51    (f) In designing the plan, the office shall be guided by any recommen-
    52  dations contained in the engineering study mandated by paragraph (c)  of
    53  this  subdivision, and any comments or recommendations made by the advi-
    54  sory committee, including as to such engineering  study.  Such  advisory
    55  committee  shall also be entitled to reject or modify any recommendation
    56  upon a finding that such recommendation would be  inconsistent  with  or

        S. 2689--C                          5

     1  will interfere with the attainment of the statewide greenhouse gas emis-
     2  sions  limits  established  in article seventy-five of the environmental
     3  conservation law, the climate justice provisions of the CLCPA, any rules
     4  or  regulations  issued  thereunder,  or this section.   If the advisory
     5  committee rejects or modifies any recommendation, the  original  version
     6  of  the  recommendations  as  set  forth  in the engineering study shall
     7  presumptively not  be  considered  by  the  office,  unless  substantial
     8  evidence exists to support the study's initial recommendations.
     9    (g)  The  plan  shall designate the geographic boundaries of the local
    10  community. In designating such boundaries, which shall include the Alba-
    11  ny Sheridan Hollow, Arbor Hill, Center Square, Mansion, Washington Park,
    12  West Hill, and  South  End  neighborhoods,  the  office  shall  consider
    13  including  in  its  designation  any  other  communities that experience
    14  impacts on their water, air quality, noise and traffic from  the  empire
    15  state plaza complex.
    16    (h)(i)  Any  project  that  may be funded as a result of the renewable
    17  capitol project completed pursuant to this section shall: (A) be  deemed
    18  a  public  work   project subject to article eight of the labor law; (B)
    19  require that the component parts of any renewable  capitol  project  are
    20  produced  or made in whole or substantial part in the United States, its
    21  territories or possessions, subject to a waiver provision similar to the
    22  one contained in subdivision two of section sixty-six-s  of  the  public
    23  service  law;  (C)  contain a requirement that any public owner or third
    24  party acting on behalf of a public owner enter into   a   project  labor
    25  agreement  as defined by section two hundred twenty-two of the labor law
    26  for all construction work; and (D) require  the  payment  of  prevailing
    27  wage standards consistent  with article nine of the labor law for build-
    28  ing services work.
    29    (ii)  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all rights
    30  or  benefits,  including  terms  and  conditions  of   employment,   and
    31  protection  of  civil  service  and  collective bargaining status of all
    32  existing public   employees   and the  work  jurisdiction,  covered  job
    33  titles,  and  work  assignments,  set forth in the civil service law and
    34  collective bargaining agreements  with  labor  organizations  represent-
    35  ing  public employees shall be preserved and protected. Any such project
    36  shall not result in the: (A)  displacement  of  any  currently  employed
    37  worker  or  loss  of  position (including partial displacement as such a
    38  reduction in the hours of non-overtime work, wages, or employment  bene-
    39  fits)  or  result  in  the  impairment of existing collective bargaining
    40  agreements; (B) transfer of existing duties  and  functions  related  to
    41  maintenance  and operations currently performed by existing employees of
    42  authorized entities to a contracting entity; or (C) transfer  of  future
    43  duties  and  functions  ordinarily  performed by employees of authorized
    44  entities to a contracting entity.
    45    (i) In the case of any conflict as to the requirements of this section
    46  and section ninety-one of the public buildings  law  in  regard  to  the
    47  project, this section shall prevail.
    48    §  3.   The tenth undesignated paragraph of section 1005 of the public
    49  authorities law, as added by chapter 55 of the laws of 1992, is  amended
    50  to read as follows:
    51    The  authority is further authorized, as deemed feasible and advisable
    52  by the trustees, to acquire,  maintain,  manage,  operate,  improve  and
    53  reconstruct as a project or projects of the authority one or both of the
    54  steam  generation  facilities  owned  by the state known as the Sheridan
    55  [avenue] Avenue steam [generating] plant [on Sheridan avenue in the city
    56  of Albany and used to supply steam to state facilities],  together  with

        S. 2689--C                          6

     1  any  properties,  buildings and equipment at the sites thereof or ancil-
     2  lary thereto, for the generation and sale  of  thermal  energy  and  the
     3  cogeneration  and sale of electricity for use by facilities of the state
     4  within  the  county  of Albany. All the authority's costs, including its
     5  acquisition, capital, operating and maintenance costs, shall  be  recov-
     6  ered  fully  from  the  customers receiving service from such project or
     7  projects. Thermal energy and electricity not required by the  state  may
     8  be  sold  by the authority to others. The authority is not authorized to
     9  use refuse or refuse-derived fuel in operating the project or  projects.
    10  As  of  the time period specified in paragraph (a) of subdivision two of
    11  section two hundred four of  the  executive  law,  all  of  the  energy,
    12  including  but not limited to heat, cooling and electricity, produced at
    13  the Sheridan Avenue steam plant shall utilize renewable energy  systems.
    14  Any  agreement  for  such acquisition shall insure that the authority is
    15  not liable or otherwise responsible for circumstances arising  from  the
    16  prior operation of such facilities. The acquisition and purchase of such
    17  land, buildings and equipment by the authority, and any actions taken to
    18  effect  such  acquisition  and  purchase,  are  hereby  exempt  from the
    19  provisions of article eight of the environmental conservation  law.  The
    20  application  of such exemption shall be strictly limited to the acquisi-
    21  tion and purchase of such land, buildings and equipment by the authority
    22  and such agreements with the state.  Nothing  herein  shall  exempt  the
    23  authority  from  otherwise  applicable  laws  respecting  the expansion,
    24  conversion, operation and maintenance of such land, buildings and equip-
    25  ment. For the purposes of this subdivision, the terms "renewable  energy
    26  systems"  and "Sheridan Avenue steam plant" shall have the same meanings
    27  as in subdivision one of section two hundred four of the executive law.
    28    § 4. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 90 of the public  buildings  law,
    29  as  added by section 5 of part RR of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, are
    30  amended to read as follows:
    31    2. "Decarbonization" and "decarbonize" means eliminating  all  on-site
    32  combustion  of fossil-fuels and associated co-pollutants with the excep-
    33  tion of back-up emergency generators and  redundant  systems  needed  to
    34  address  public health, safety and security, providing heating and cool-
    35  ing through thermal energy, and thermal energy networks,  from  non-com-
    36  bustion  sources,  and to the greatest extent feasible producing on-site
    37  electricity that is one hundred percent renewable.  Notwithstanding  the
    38  provisions  of  this subdivision, for purposes of the empire state plaza
    39  complex, such term shall mean meeting the requirements  of  subdivisions
    40  two  and  three  of  section  two hundred four of the executive law, and
    41  section ninety-one of this article, as such requirements are  applicable
    42  to the empire state plaza complex.
    43    3. "Highest-emitting facilities" means state-owned facilities that are
    44  among the highest producers of greenhouse gas emissions and collectively
    45  account  for  at least thirty percent of the greenhouse gas emissions as
    46  recorded by the authority's Build Smart NY program established  pursuant
    47  to  Executive  Order 88 of 2012.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this
    48  subdivision, one of such facilities shall be   the  empire  state  plaza
    49  complex.  For purposes of this article, the "empire state plaza complex"
    50  shall have the same meaning as defined in paragraph (e)  of  subdivision
    51  one of section two hundred four of the executive law.
    52    §  5.  The  opening  paragraph  and paragraph (g) of subdivision 1 and
    53  subdivision 2 of section 91 of the public buildings  law,  as  added  by
    54  section  5 of part RR of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, are amended and
    55  a new paragraph (l) is added to subdivision 1 to read as follows:

        S. 2689--C                          7

     1    The authority is hereby authorized and directed to establish decarbon-
     2  ization action plans for fifteen of the highest-emitting facilities that
     3  will serve as a basis for decarbonizing the facilities  to  the  maximum
     4  extent  practicable,  and  subject  to  any needed redundant systems and
     5  back-up  systems  needed  for public safety and security.  [Decarboniza-
     6  tion] Except as provided  in  paragraph  (h)  of  subdivision  three  of
     7  section  two  hundred  four of the executive law, decarbonization action
     8  plans shall address the following matters at a minimum:
     9    (g) [Identification] Except for the empire state plaza decarbonization
    10  plan, identification of any parts  of  the  facilities  that  cannot  be
    11  decarbonized, with explanations.
    12    (l)  In  the  case  of  the empire state plaza complex decarbonization
    13  action plan, the items listed in paragraph (f) of subdivision  three  of
    14  section two hundred four of the executive law.
    15    2.  [The]  Except  for  the  decarbonization plan for the empire state
    16  plaza complex, the authority shall complete the  decarbonization  action
    17  plans  no  later  than  January  thirty-first,  two thousand twenty-six,
    18  provided that such date shall be extended for justifiable delay  outside
    19  the  control of the authority, including, but not limited to, previously
    20  planned or current major renovations or replacements to the  facilities,
    21  delayed permitting or approval by building owners, local authorities, or
    22  other essential parties, external resource bottlenecks, pending or unre-
    23  solved  investigations  into  utility  grid  capacity or similar circum-
    24  stances where crucial information is not yet  available  or  determined.
    25  Such  extension  shall  be  limited to the time necessary to address the
    26  factors causing such delay.  The empire state decarbonization plan shall
    27  be completed by January thirty-first, two thousand  twenty-six,  and  no
    28  exclusions for justifiable delays shall be permitted.
    29    § 6. Subdivisions 5, 6 and 7 of section 91 of the public buildings law
    30  are renumbered subdivisions 6, 7 and 8, and a new subdivision 5 is added
    31  to read as follows:
    32    5.  The  authority  shall be authorized to use the funding provided in
    33  subdivision four of this section to prepare the  decarbonization  action
    34  plan  for  the empire state plaza complex, to update or modify any study
    35  or plan undertaken, with the goal, in  whole  or  in  part  of  reducing
    36  greenhouse  gas  emissions applicable to such complex, or to perform the
    37  engineering study mandated by paragraph  (d)  of  subdivision  three  of
    38  section  two  hundred four of the executive law, provided that such plan
    39  or study in the view of the authority would provide  information  useful
    40  for achieving the purposes of such section.
    41    § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
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