Bill Text: NY S08546 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Requires every renewable energy generating project receiving grants, guaranteed loans, tax benefits or funding from New York state to enter into a memorandum of understanding for the operation and maintenance of such project with a bona fide labor organization of jurisdiction that is actively engaged in representing transitioning utility workers in the fossil fuel industry.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-03 - PRINT NUMBER 8546A [S08546 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S08546-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8546--A IN SENATE February 12, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sens. JACKSON, ADDABBO, HARCKHAM, MANNION, PALUMBO, PARK- ER, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications -- commit- tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom- mitted to said committee AN ACT in relation to requiring certain renewable energy generating projects to enter into a memorandum of understanding for the operation and maintenance of such project with a bona fide labor organization The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Every renewable energy generating project receiving grants, 2 guaranteed loans, tax benefits or funding from New York state, shall 3 demonstrate that the developer or other entities owning such renewable 4 energy generating project has entered into a memorandum of understanding 5 for the operation and maintenance of such project with a bona fide labor 6 organization of jurisdiction that is actively engaged in representing 7 transitioning utility workers in the fossil fuel industry. Such memoran- 8 dum shall be entered into prior to the completion date of such project 9 and the memorandum shall be an ongoing material condition of authori- 10 zation to operate and maintain the renewable energy project. The memo- 11 randum shall only apply to employees necessary for the maintenance and 12 operation of such renewable energy generation project. Such memorandum 13 shall contain, but not be limited to, safety and training standards, 14 disaster response measures, guaranteed hours, staffing levels, pay rate 15 protection and retraining programs. 16 § 2. 1. The department of labor and the New York state energy research 17 and development authority, in consultation with renewable energy indus- 18 try stakeholders, shall issue a report no later than the one hundred 19 twentieth day after the effective date of this act that identifies the 20 job titles and skill sets required to maintain and operate any and all 21 renewable generation facilities and technologies approved by law. Such 22 report shall be updated annually. 23 2. Within one hundred twenty days after such report required pursuant 24 to subdivision one of this section is issued, the department of labor, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14517-02-4S. 8546--A 2 1 in consultation with affected bona fide labor organizations of jurisdic- 2 tion in the utility industry, shall compile a list of transitioning 3 workers, who have lost their employment or will be losing their employ- 4 ment in the fossil fuel energy sector. Such list shall be updated quar- 5 terly. 6 3. Within six months after the effective date of this act, the depart- 7 ment of labor shall, in consultation with renewable energy industry 8 stakeholders and affected bona fide labor organizations of jurisdiction 9 in the utility industry, create a workforce development program, which 10 shall provide training and retraining to those transitioning fossil-fuel 11 workers. Such program, at a minimum, shall address the job titles and 12 skill sets, as identified by the report required pursuant to subdivision 13 one of this section, necessary to qualify for renewable energy gener- 14 ation operation and maintenance positions and shall offer a combination 15 of on-the-job training, where applicable, and classroom job related 16 instruction to transitioning workers. 17 4. The transitioning workers, identified by the list compiled pursuant 18 to subdivision two of this section and which have successfully completed 19 the department of labor workforce development program, if it exists, as 20 created and required by subdivision three of this section, shall be 21 offered to first, any and all operation and maintenance positions at 22 renewable energy generating projects receiving grants, guaranteed loans, 23 tax benefits or funding from New York state. Should there be no candi- 24 dates available from the list of transitioning workers which have 25 completed such program such renewable energy generating project may hire 26 transitioning workers off such list which have not completed such 27 program. The department of labor shall make such list available to the 28 New York state energy research and development authority and any and all 29 renewable energy generating project receiving grants, guaranteed loans, 30 tax benefits or funding from New York state upon award of such govern- 31 ment assistance and ninety days prior to completion of such project. 32 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.