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. LBD14229-01-4S. 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.