Bill Text: NY S07321 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Directs the public service commission in consultation with NYSERDA to conduct a full cost benefit analysis of the technical and economic feasibility of renewable energy systems in the state of New York and to compare such directly with other methods of electricity generation within nine months after the effective date and every four years thereafter.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS [S07321 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S07321-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7321

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     August 9, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  STEC  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in  relation  to  directing  the
          public  service  commission to conduct a full cost benefit analysis of
          the technical and economic feasibility of renewable energy systems  in
          the  state of New York and to compare such directly with other methods
          of electricity generation

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section
     2  66-s to read as follows:
     3    § 66-s. Supplemental study  of  the  costs,  benefits,  technical  and
     4  economic  feasibility  of  meeting the New York state climate leadership
     5  and community protection act renewable energy targets. 1. Not later than
     6  nine months after the effective date of this  section,  and  every  four
     7  years  thereafter, the commission, on behalf of the climate action coun-
     8  cil established by section 75-0103  of  the  environmental  conservation
     9  law, and in consultation with the president of the New York state energy
    10  research  and  development  authority  and  the presiding officer of the
    11  federally designated electric bulk system operator,  shall  publish  and
    12  update  a comprehensive study to determine the costs, benefits and over-
    13  all economic feasibility of meeting the climate leadership and community
    14  protection act ("CLCPA") targets for renewable  energy  systems  in  New
    15  York state.
    16    2. Such study shall include a full cost benefit analysis assessing the
    17  following, including, but not limited to:
    18    (a)  The  current state of technology in place for electric generation
    19  as of the date of the study, as well  as  new  and  emerging  generation
    20  methods;
    21    (b)  The  impact  of CLCPA renewable energy target compliance on elec-
    22  tricity wholesale prices, delivery rates and  total  bills  that  energy

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11125-01-1
        S. 7321                             2

     1  consumers  in this state will pay, including indirect energy costs. This
     2  analysis would include the impacts of subsidies to site  land-based  and
     3  offshore  renewable  energy  projects,  the  build-out  of  the electric
     4  infrastructure  to  receive  and  transmit renewable power, subsidies of
     5  energy storage projects, and the addition of new loads  associated  with
     6  deep  electrification efforts in the residential, commercial, industrial
     7  and transportation sectors. This analysis shall address both  short-term
     8  and long-term maintenance costs;
     9    (c)  Direct and indirect costs associated with the transition to heat-
    10  ing and cooling provided by  heat  pumps  powered  by  renewable  energy
    11  systems;
    12    (d) The current civilian state of the art in nuclear reactor technolo-
    13  gy and the role such technology could play in the transition to a clean-
    14  er,  more  reliable,  and  more  resilient  energy portfolio in New York
    15  state;
    16    (e) The impact of renewable energy systems on the reliability  of  the
    17  electric  system  in  this  state, including but not limited to, voltage
    18  sags and how  reliability  shall  be  maintained  when  solar  and  wind
    19  resources are not generating power, and shall also address how reliabil-
    20  ity  will  be  maintained if fast-ramping gas-fired generation is phased
    21  out;
    22    (f) Costs and logistical issues associated with  end-of-life  disposal
    23  of renewable energy system components;
    24    (g)  Short-term  and  long-term costs associated with building-out and
    25  maintaining adequate energy storage and/or battery capacity for  periods
    26  when renewable energy systems are intermittent;
    27    (h)  Direct  and  indirect  transportation  costs associated with such
    28  matters as charging station infrastructure, a moratorium on gas pipeline
    29  construction, and over-the-road transport of goods, such  as  perishable
    30  agricultural products;
    31    (i)  The  impact  of  CLCPA  compliance  on natural gas market prices,
    32  delivery rates and total bills that energy consumers in this state  will
    33  pay  including  but  not limited to short-term and long-term maintenance
    34  costs;
    35    (j) The impact CLCPA compliance has on the reliability of the  natural
    36  gas  system in this state and its ability to support manufacturing proc-
    37  esses for which today there are no known  replacement  fuels.  Consider-
    38  ation  shall  be  given to the following: the utilization and dependence
    39  upon natural gas by manufacturers for process purposes; the  utilization
    40  and  dependence on natural gas service for cooking by the restaurant and
    41  food-service industry, due to the ability of gas  ranges  and  ovens  to
    42  heat  foods  more  evenly  than  their electric counterparts; the use of
    43  natural gas for heating in forty-six percent of households in the North-
    44  east; and reliable and affordable alternatives  for  heating  and  other
    45  services currently supplied by natural gas;
    46    (k)  Clarification of the impact of CLCPA compliance on industrial use
    47  of fossil fuels; and
    48    (l) An examination of the land use  implications  of  major  renewable
    49  electric generating facilities in the state, both from the standpoint of
    50  tourism  and  this state's tourism-based economic sectors, and potential
    51  effects on the viability of agriculture in this state.
    52    3. Such study shall build  upon  relevant  expertise  already  at  the
    53  commission's disposal, along with that of the climate action council.
    54    4. The department, on behalf of the commission, shall contract with an
    55  independent  and  competitively-selected  consultant  to  undertake such
    56  study.
        S. 7321                             3

     1    5. The  department,  and  any  contractors  it  may  retain  for  such
     2  purposes,  shall consult with entities that have resources and expertise
     3  to assist in such study, including, but not limited to,  academic  part-
     4  ners,  electric  corporations,  electricity  generating companies, trade
     5  organizations, environmental justice groups, and other stakeholders.
     6    6.  Upon  completion  of  the  initial  study  and  each updated study
     7  conducted pursuant to subdivision one of this  section,  the  department
     8  shall  prepare  a report on such study's findings, including recommenda-
     9  tions for future courses of action and/or those issues requiring further
    10  investigation.  The commission shall transmit such report along with the
    11  study to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary presi-
    12  dent of the senate, the chair of the assembly energy committee, and  the
    13  chair  of  the  senate  energy and telecommunications committee no later
    14  than thirty days after the study's completion.
    15    7. The Long Island power authority and  the  power  authority  of  the
    16  state  of  New  York are authorized, as deemed feasible and advisable by
    17  their respective boards, to make a voluntary  contribution  toward  this
    18  study.
    19    8.  Upon receipt of the report of the study's findings, the commission
    20  shall, within ninety days, promulgate rules  and  regulations  necessary
    21  for effectuating the intent of the recommendations made by the report.
    22    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.