Bill Text: NY S08402 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Enacts the "go green schools act" to assist school districts in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary source of energy; directs NYSERDA to conduct a study and make recommendations for such purpose.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-06-04 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [S08402 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S08402-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8402--A Cal. No. 445 IN SENATE January 26, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing the "go green schools act" to assist schools in converting to renewa- ble energy systems as a primary source of energy 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 "go green schools act". 3 § 2. Article 8 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a 4 new title 9-D to read as follows: 5 TITLE 9-D 6 GO GREEN SCHOOLS ACT 7 Section 1920. Definitions. 8 1921. Mapping. 9 1922. Study. 10 1923. Reporting. 11 § 1920. Definitions. For the purposes of this title: 12 (a) "authority" shall have the same meaning as set forth in subdivi- 13 sion two of section eighteen hundred fifty-one of this article; and 14 (b) "renewable energy systems" shall have the same meaning as defined 15 in section sixty-six-p of the public service law. 16 § 1921. Mapping. 1. The authority shall develop a mapping tool to 17 provide to schools to assist such schools in converting to renewable 18 energy systems as a primary source of energy. 19 2. The mapping tool shall be posted prominently and publicly on the 20 authority's website and shall include the following features: 21 (a) provide sufficient information and guidance to schools to compre- 22 hensively evaluate what type or types of renewable energy systems will 23 be the most cost effective option for meeting the energy needs of each 24 school in the state; and 25 (b) renewable energy system siting information, such as: land use 26 cover data; disadvantaged communities; brownfields; previously disturbed EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14229-02-4S. 8402--A 2 1 and developed sites including but not limited to large rooftops, parking 2 lots, and landfills; agricultural soils and agricultural districts; 3 forests; wetlands, floodplains, and waterbodies; historic, cultural, and 4 archaeological resources; public parks, preserves and recreational 5 resources; conserved and protected lands; hosting capacity; distrib- 6 ution, and transmission lines; and topography as relevant to siting 7 renewable energy systems. 8 3. The authority shall complete and post the mapping tool on its 9 website on or before December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six. 10 § 1922. Study. 1. The authority, within twelve months of the effective 11 date of this title, shall conduct a study of the financial feasibility 12 and sustainability of converting each public school district to renewa- 13 ble energy as a primary source of energy. 14 2. Such study shall include, but not be limited to: 15 (a) the ability of each school district to safely house its own inde- 16 pendent energy harnessing source and store the energy harnessed, includ- 17 ing the use of nearby structures to create local storage battery facili- 18 ties nearby; 19 (b) the ability to plug schools that are not connected to a renewable 20 energy source into existing renewable energy sources, including but not 21 limited to solar farms, hydrogen energy plants, wind farms, geothermal, 22 and other renewable energy sources, as approved by the authority, that 23 are nearby; 24 (c) the creation of microgrids to connect school districts to local 25 renewable energy sources, and the cost to upkeep such microgrids; and 26 (d) recommendations regarding the most feasible renewable energy 27 sources for converting public school districts to renewable energy, 28 including the most cost-effective routes to connect schools with such 29 renewable energy sources. 30 § 1923. Reporting. 1. (a) The authority, no later than three months 31 following the completion of the mapping required pursuant to section 32 nineteen hundred twenty-one of this title and the study required pursu- 33 ant to section nineteen hundred twenty-two of this title, shall submit a 34 report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the 35 speaker of the assembly, containing the results of such mapping and the 36 findings of such study. 37 (b) The report required pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision 38 shall include, but not be limited to: 39 (i) recommendations for the most efficient ways to convert schools to 40 renewable energy systems; and 41 (ii) recommendations for financial savings programs to incentivize 42 school districts to convert to renewable energy systems. 43 2. The authority, no later than twelve months following the completion 44 of the mapping required pursuant to section nineteen hundred twenty-one 45 of this title and the study required pursuant to section nineteen 46 hundred twenty-two of this title, shall submit a second report to the 47 governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the 48 assembly, containing projections regarding the sustainability and upkeep 49 costs of the renewable energy projects recommended in the first report 50 required pursuant to subdivision one of this section. 51 § 3. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a 52 new subdivision 9 to read as follows: 53 9. To develop and provide a mapping tool and assistance to each public 54 school district in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary 55 source of energy pursuant to title nine-D of this article. 56 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
