Bill Text: NY S09620 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishes the nine member distributed generation for community solar siting commission to examine the reasons for delays in the siting of community solar projects, identify those causes and examine solutions to accelerate development; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S09620 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09620-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9620

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

        AN ACT to amend the executive  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
          distributed generation for community solar siting commission

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

     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The Legislature finds and declares  the
     2  following:
     3    It  is  the policy of the State of New York as laid out in the Climate
     4  Leadership and Community Protection act (CLCPA) as well as  other  laws,
     5  regulations  and  proceedings  of the public service commission, that by
     6  the year 2040, New York State will derive 100% of its energy from carbon
     7  free sources with an interim goal of 70% by 2030. Further, the state has
     8  and continues to move toward a carbon free  future  and  a  carbon  free
     9  economy.  As  a  part  of this movement, NYS has adopted legislation and
    10  regulations related to community solar projects and worked  through  the
    11  NY  Sun  program  and  other means to assist in funding more distributed
    12  solar projects and encouraging investment and job creation in the  clean
    13  energy  sector.   Audits by the Comptroller and reports from NYSERDA and
    14  other agencies have, however, begun to show  a  troubling  pattern.  New
    15  York is not on track to meet its energy goals, with many projects in the
    16  pipeline  but  fewer and fewer coming to fruition and completion. If our
    17  state does not triple its renewable energy capacity in the coming years,
    18  we will miss our 2030 goal. "Distributed Generation, including Community
    19  Distributed Generation ("CDG")" for "Community Solar" is one of the keys
    20  to New York meeting its stated goals, and yet, in this important sector,
    21  development is slowing, and local opposition is mounting.  The  legisla-
    22  ture  wishes to discover the causes of this slowdown and evaluate policy
    23  recommendations that  can  accelerate  the  siting  of  community  solar
    24  projects in support of our 2030 and 2040 goals.
    25    § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new article 49-D to read
    26  as follows:
    27                                 ARTICLE 49-D
    28        DISTRIBUTED GENERATION FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR SITING COMMISSION
    29  Section 997. Distributed  generation  for community solar siting commis-
    30                 sion.
    31          997-a. Powers and duties of the commission.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15670-01-4

        S. 9620                             2

     1          997-b. Hearings.
     2          997-c. Report.
     3    §  997.  Distributed generation for community solar siting commission.
     4  1. There is hereby created a distributed generation for community  solar
     5  siting commission, which shall consist of the following nine members:
     6    (a)  three  members appointed by the governor, one of whom must have a
     7  labor background; (b) two members appointed by the  temporary  president
     8  of  the senate, at least one of whom must have a solar development back-
     9  ground; (c) two members appointed by the speaker  of  the  assembly,  at
    10  least  one of whom must have an environmental background; (d) one member
    11  appointed by the minority leader of  the  senate;  and  (e)  one  member
    12  appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
    13    2. Members shall receive no compensation for their service, but may be
    14  reimbursed  for  reasonable  expenses incurred during the performance of
    15  their duties.
    16    3. Commission staff shall be  provided  by  the  energy  and  research
    17  development authority.
    18    4.  For  purposes of this article "commission" shall mean the distrib-
    19  uted generation for community solar study commission.
    20    § 997-a. Powers and duties of the  commission.  The  commission  shall
    21  examine  the  reasons  for  delays  in  the  siting  of  community solar
    22  projects, identify those causes  and  examine  solutions  to  accelerate
    23  development.  The work of the commission shall include but not be limit-
    24  ed to:
    25    1. Examining and evaluating state subsidy levels for community solar;
    26    2.  Examining  and  evaluating  the siting process at the local level,
    27  looking for  ways  to  streamline  that  process,  considering  possible
    28  avenues to incentivize local communities to welcome development, consid-
    29  ering  whether  localities  are  or  should be allowed to impose greater
    30  standards than the state recommends, and  developing  "model"  community
    31  solar siting laws and guidelines for localities;
    32    3. Determining whether the office of renewable energy siting authority
    33  should be expanded to smaller community solar projects;
    34    4.  Examining  the  role of utility companies, including the intercon-
    35  nection process, costs and requirements;
    36    5. Examining the role of the energy and research development authority
    37  in promoting community solar and assisting in bringing projects to frui-
    38  tion; and
    39    6. Considering other factors impeding development that the  commission
    40  shall deem relevant and important.
    41    §  997-b.  Hearings. The commission shall hold hearings in each region
    42  of the state defined in the same way as the regional  economic  develop-
    43  ment  councils.  Such  hearings  will include invited witnesses from the
    44  commission and should also include an  opportunity  for  public  comment
    45  either in person or in writing.
    46    §  997-c.  Report.  Within  one  year  of  the  effective date of this
    47  section, the commission shall issue a report. Such report shall  provide
    48  a  detailed analysis of the state of community solar, outline challenges
    49  that may be impeding its further advancement  and  make  recommendations
    50  regarding  changes  in  policies,  laws, procedures and regulations that
    51  could have a positive impact in terms of increasing development,  limit-
    52  ing  delays  and  incentivizing local communities to be supportive. Such
    53  report shall be delivered to the governor and legislature.
    54    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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