S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3943
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 23, 2015
___________
Introduced by Sen. GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations
AN ACT to require the public service commission and the New York state
energy research and development authority to ensure funds are avail-
able to fund programs assisting building owners with installing energy
efficient improvements
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. The public service commission and the New York state energy
2 research and development authority shall ensure that not less than
3 fifteen million dollars is made available for the purposes of funding
4 programs to assist residential and multi-family building owners with
5 installing improvements to heating and cooling systems with an emphasis
6 on emissions reductions and increased efficiency. Heating and cooling
7 improvement programs established pursuant to this section shall be
8 designed to increase efficiency by at least ten percent or reduce fuel
9 usage by at least ten percent and lead to a significant reduction in
10 carbon emissions as defined by the authority guidelines, developed after
11 consultation with the department of environmental conservation, provided
12 that such projects shall have a return on investment of five years or
13 less. Such improvements shall include, but shall not be limited to fuel
14 oil to natural gas conversions or conversions to heating oil number two
15 from heating oil number six or heating oil number four, through the
16 installation of a high efficiency boiler or furnace, an improvement to
17 and/or replacement of a burner in a boiler, or connecting to a district
18 energy system as defined in this section. For purposes of this act, a
19 district energy system connection shall mean facilities furnished,
20 installed and maintained by a district energy customer required for the
21 utilization of district service including, but not limited to, service
22 stop valves, meter stop valves, primary and secondary service pressure
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04499-01-5
S. 3943 2
1 reducing valves, meter supports and all piping between the point of
2 service termination and the customer's utilization equipment, and any
3 other improvement to a heating system that satisfies the criteria set
4 forth in this section. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
5 section, for boilers that are regulated by the New York city department
6 of environmental protection, the improvements must result in a signif-
7 icant reduction of particulate matter that is two and one-half microns
8 or less in width (commonly referred to as PM 2.5 emissions) of at least
9 fifty percent.
10 S 2. The funding stream made available for programs as described in
11 section one of this act may consist of monies derived from assessments
12 on transmission and distribution companies under direct oversight of the
13 commission collected on or after July 1, 2006 and monies collected by
14 auctions administered under the regional greenhouse gas initiative or
15 any other monies administered by the authority that may be available for
16 such purpose.
17 S 3. The president of the New York state energy research and develop-
18 ment authority shall provide additional definitions and guidelines for
19 the eligibility of an improvement or project, which shall include defin-
20 ing the parameters of what constitutes a significant reduction in carbon
21 emissions for a single family or multiple family dwelling as well as any
22 and all applicable standards, other than those enumerated in this act.
23 S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.