Bill Text: NY S06921 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Requires the power authority of the state of New York to produce a report detailing best practices with regard to energy cost savings for schools in New York state.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-08-17 - SIGNED CHAP.420 [S06921 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-S06921-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6921
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    April 11, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
         when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
       AN ACT providing for the creation of a temporary state commission on the
         energy costs savings for school districts and providing for the repeal
         of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. A temporary state commission, to be known as the commission
    2  on  alternative energy cost savings for schools in New York state, here-
    3  inafter referred to as the commission, is hereby created to, in  consul-
    4  tation  with the New York state department of education, examine, evalu-
    5  ate, make recommendations  and  to  collect  data  concerning  the  cost
    6  savings  of  school districts if each school utilized alternative energy
    7  technologies including but not limited to, solar  panels  and  advanced-
    8  technology miniature wind turbines, to help offset energy cost currently
    9  incurred by each school.
   10    S  2. The commission shall consist of fifteen members, to be appointed
   11  as follows: nine members to be appointed by  the governor, four of which
   12  shall be staff from the New York state department of  education  or  the
   13  New  York  state  energy  research and development authority and five of
   14  which shall be members of green energy  technology  firms  and  environ-
   15  mental  conservation not-for-profit organizations operating in the state
   16  of New York; two members to be appointed by the temporary  president  of
   17  the  senate; two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   18  one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and one
   19  member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
   20    S 3. The commission shall be housed at and staffed  by  the  New  York
   21  state  energy  research  and  development  authority. The governor shall
   22  designate the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the commission. Vacan-
   23  cies in the membership of the commission and among its officers shall be
   24  filled in the manner provided for original appointments or designations.
   25    S 4. Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their
   26  services, but shall be  allowed  their  actual  and  necessary  expenses
   27  incurred  in  the  performance of their duties hereunder. To the maximum
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD13069-02-1
       S. 6921                             2
    1  extent feasible, the commission shall be entitled to request and receive
    2  and shall utilize and be provided with such facilities,  resources,  and
    3  data  of  any court, department, division, board, bureau, commission, or
    4  agency  of  the  state  or any political subdivision thereof as it deems
    5  necessary or desirable to carry out properly its powers and duties here-
    6  under.
    7    S 5. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove  such  personnel
    8  as  it  may  deem necessary for the performance of its functions and fix
    9  their compensation within the amounts made available therefor.
   10    S 6. The commission may meet within and outside the state, shall  hold
   11  public  hearings, and shall have all the powers of a legislative commit-
   12  tee pursuant to the legislative law.
   13    S 7. The commission shall make and submit its findings, including  any
   14  recommendations  for  legislative  action  as  it may deem necessary and
   15  appropriate in a report to the governor, the temporary president of  the
   16  senate,  the  speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the senate
   17  and the minority leader of the  assembly,  the  New  York  state  school
   18  boards association and the council of school supervisors and administra-
   19  tors  not  later  than two hundred seventy days after it first convenes.
   20  Such report shall include recommendations for:
   21    1. the alternative energy technologies that should be used;
   22    2. mechanisms for funding a rapid implementation and  construction  of
   23  such energy saving systems;
   24    3.  the  potential for school districts to feed excess energy capacity
   25  into the electricity grid and projected revenue from such;
   26    4. the short term construction costs;
   27    5. the long-term maintenance costs;
   28    6. the potential to reduce school property taxes;
   29    7. the projected energy costs savings per school district;
   30    8. the number of short-term job creation for this green initiative;
   31    9. the number of long-term job creation for this green initiative;
   32    10. the projected timeline to outfit the more than 4,200 public school
   33  buildings in the state with such technology;
   34    11. the projected reduction in greenhouse gases  if  this  project  is
   35  implemented statewide;
   36    12.  the  ability for school districts to sell excess power generation
   37  capacity to utility companies and local community; and
   38    13. the ability of schools to use the implementation of  green  energy
   39  alternatives  as a tool for classroom instruction in their science, math
   40  and technology curriculum.
   41    S 8. This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately;  provided  that  the
   42  appointment  of  members  to  the  commission on alternative energy cost
   43  savings for schools in New York state shall be completed  within  thirty
   44  days  of  such  effective  date,  provided  further, that this act shall
   45  remain in effect until thirty days after the commission  on  alternative
   46  energy  cost  savings  for  schools in New York state submits the report
   47  required by section six of this act, at which time this act shall expire
   48  and be deemed repealed; and provided further, however, that  the  chair-
   49  person  of  the  temporary  state  commission on alternative energy cost
   50  savings for schools in New York state shall notify the legislative  bill
   51  drafting commission upon the submission of its report as provided for in
   52  section  six  of  this  act in order that the commission may maintain an
   53  accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws
   54  of the state of New York in furtherance of effecting the  provisions  of
   55  section  44  of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public offi-
   56  cers law.