Bill Text: NY S08402 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

---

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-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8402

                    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

        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 sources 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. Definition.
     8          1921. Mapping.
     9          1922. Study.
    10          1923. Reporting.
    11    § 1920. Definition. For the purposes of this title, "authority"  shall
    12  have  the  same meaning as set forth in subdivision two of section eigh-
    13  teen hundred fifty-one of this article.
    14    § 1921. Mapping. The authority shall develop mapping tools to  provide
    15  to  schools  to  assist  such  schools in converting to renewable energy
    16  sources as a primary source of energy.
    17    § 1922. Study. 1. The authority, within twelve months of the effective
    18  date of this title, shall conduct a study or studies  of  the  financial
    19  feasibility and sustainability of converting each public school district
    20  to renewable energy as a primary source of energy.
    21    2. Such study or studies shall include, but not be limited to:
    22    (a)  the ability of each school district to safely house its own inde-
    23  pendent energy harnessing source and store the energy harnessed, includ-
    24  ing the use of nearby structures to create local storage battery facili-
    25  ties nearby;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14229-01-4
        S. 8402                             2

     1    (b) the ability to plug schools that are not connected to a  renewable
     2  energy  source into existing renewable energy sources, including but not
     3  limited to solar farms, hydrogen energy plants, wind farms,  geothermal,
     4  and  other  renewable energy sources, as approved by the authority, that
     5  are nearby;
     6    (c)  the  creation  of microgrids to connect school districts to local
     7  renewable energy sources, and the cost to upkeep such microgrids; and
     8    (d) recommendations  regarding  the  most  feasible  renewable  energy
     9  sources  for  converting  public  school  districts to renewable energy,
    10  including the most cost-effective routes to connect  schools  with  such
    11  renewable energy sources.
    12    §  1923.  Reporting.  1. (a) The authority, no later than three months
    13  following the completion of the mapping  required  pursuant  to  section
    14  nineteen  hundred  twenty-one  of  this  title  and the study or studies
    15  required pursuant to section nineteen hundred twenty-two of this  title,
    16  shall  submit  a  report to the governor, the temporary president of the
    17  senate, and the speaker of the assembly, containing the results of  such
    18  mapping and the findings of such study or studies.
    19    (b)  The report required pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision
    20  shall include, but not be limited to:
    21    (i) recommendations for the most efficient ways to convert schools  to
    22  renewable energy sources; and
    23    (ii)  recommendations  for  financial  savings programs to incentivize
    24  school districts to convert to renewable energy sources.
    25    2. The authority, no  later  than  twenty-four  months  following  the
    26  completion  of the mapping required pursuant to section nineteen hundred
    27  twenty-one of this title and the study or studies required  pursuant  to
    28  section nineteen hundred twenty-two of this title, shall submit a second
    29  report  to  the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the
    30  speaker of the assembly, containing projections regarding the  sustaina-
    31  bility  and upkeep costs of the renewable energy projects recommended in
    32  the first report required pursuant to subdivision one of this section.
    33    § 3. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
    34  new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
    35    9. To develop and provide mapping tools and assistance to each  public
    36  school  district  in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary
    37  source of energy pursuant to title nine-D of this article.
    38    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.