Bill Text: NY S08929 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the emergency response plan of an electric corporation to include plans for how the communication and coordination of efforts shall occur.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-19 - REFERRED TO RULES [S08929 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08929-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8929

                    IN SENATE

                                     August 19, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- 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  requiring  the
          emergency  response  plan  of an electric corporation to include plans
          for how the communication and coordination of efforts shall occur

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

     1    Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public
     2  service  law,  as added by section 4 of part X of chapter 57 of the laws
     3  of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
     4    (a) Each electric corporation subject to section twenty-five-a of this
     5  chapter shall annually, on or before December fifteenth, submit  to  the
     6  commission an emergency response plan for review and approval. The emer-
     7  gency response plan shall be designed for the reasonably prompt restora-
     8  tion  of service in the case of an emergency event, defined for purposes
     9  of this subdivision as an event where widespread outages  have  occurred
    10  in  the  service  territory of the company due to storms or other causes
    11  beyond the control of the company. The  emergency  response  plan  shall
    12  include,  but need not be limited to, the following: (i) the identifica-
    13  tion of management staff responsible for company  operations  during  an
    14  emergency;  (ii)  a communications system with customers during an emer-
    15  gency that extends beyond normal business hours and business conditions;
    16  (iii) identification of and outreach plans to customers  who  had  docu-
    17  mented  their  need  for  essential  electricity for medical needs; (iv)
    18  identification of and outreach plans to  customers  who  had  documented
    19  their  need  for  essential electricity to provide critical telecommuni-
    20  cations, critical transportation, critical fuel distribution services or
    21  other large-load customers identified by the commission; (v) designation
    22  of company staff to communicate with  local  officials  and  appropriate
    23  regulatory  agencies;  (vi)  provisions  regarding  how the company will
    24  assure the safety of its employees and contractors; (vii) procedures for
    25  deploying company and mutual aid crews to work assignment areas;  (viii)
    26  identification  of  additional  supplies  and equipment needed during an
    27  emergency; (ix) the means of obtaining additional  supplies  and  equip-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD17109-04-0
        S. 8929                             2

     1  ment;  (x)  procedures  to  practice  the  emergency response plan; (xi)
     2  appropriate safety precautions regarding electrical  hazards,  including
     3  plans to promptly secure downed wires within thirty-six hours of notifi-
     4  cation  of  the location of such downed wires from a municipal emergency
     5  official; (xii) plans setting forth how the  communication  and  coordi-
     6  nation of efforts between the electric corporation, electric corporation
     7  employees,  electric  corporation company crews, mutual aid crews, other
     8  utilities including cable television companies, internet service provid-
     9  ers, local governments and  any  other  entity  performing  services  to
    10  assist  such  electric  corporation shall occur; and [(xii)] (xiii) such
    11  other additional information as the commission may  require.  Each  such
    12  corporation  shall,  on  an  annual basis, undertake drills implementing
    13  procedures to practice its emergency management plan. The commission may
    14  adopt additional requirements consistent with  ensuring  the  reasonably
    15  prompt restoration of service in the case of an emergency event.
    16    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.