S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9163
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
September 30, 2009
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Introduced by M. of A. COLTON -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Energy
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to New York state
voltage regulation pilot program
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section
66-m to read as follows:
S 66-M. VOLTAGE REGULATION PILOT PROGRAM. 1. THE COMMISSION SHALL
ESTABLISH A NEW YORK STATE PILOT PROGRAM PROMOTING ENERGY CONSERVATION
THROUGH VOLTAGE REGULATION AND THEREBY IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE
ELECTRIC GRID.
2. THE COMMISSION SHALL OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PILOT
PROGRAM AND SHALL ISSUE AN ORDER OF THE COMMISSION AUTHORIZING CAPITAL
AND OPERATING COSTS OF QUALIFYING VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIPMENT TO BE
RECOVERED IN EACH UTILITY'S RATE BASES AND TO EARN A REASONABLE RETURN
OVER A PERIOD TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION, PROVIDED THE CORPO-
RATION SHALL, AT A MINIMUM, PROVIDE THE COMMISSION WITH THE FOLLOWING:
(A) A DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED
INVESTMENTS IN ITS SERVICE AREAS;
(B) AN ANALYSIS OF THE COSTS, BENEFITS AND RISKS OF THE PROPOSAL,
INCLUDING AN ANALYSIS OF THE COSTS, BENEFITS AND RATE IMPLICATIONS TO
THE UTILITY'S PARTICIPATING CUSTOMERS, TO THE UTILITY'S DEFAULT SERVICE
CUSTOMERS AND TO THE UTILITY'S DISTRIBUTION CUSTOMERS;
(C) A DESCRIPTION OF THE QUALIFIED VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIPMENT AND
ITS SPECIFICATIONS, INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS, SOLICITATIONS, AND
PROCUREMENTS THE UTILITY HAS IMPLEMENTED OR INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT;
(D) A SHOWING THAT THE UTILITY HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO INVOLVE
NEW YORK STATE-BASED BUSINESSES, AND MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS
ENTERPRISES, AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED TEN OF THE EXECUTIVE
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14625-02-9
A. 9163 2
LAW, IN THE MANUFACTURE OR SUPPLY OF QUALIFIED VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIP-
MENT; AND
(E) OPERATE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTAB-
LISHED BY THE COMMISSION IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK STATE ENERGY
AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
3. QUALIFIED VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIPMENT SHALL BE SYNONYMOUS WITH
QUALIFIED VOLTAGE REGULATION DEVICE, AND SHALL MEAN VOLTAGE REGULATION
TECHNOLOGIES WHICH REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION, IMPROVE GRID EFFICIENCY,
RAISE OR LOWER VOLTAGE DYNAMICALLY AND ARE NINETY-NINE PERCENT OR MORE
EFFICIENT ACROSS A MINIMUM OF NINETY PERCENT OF THE ELECTRIC LOAD CURVE.
S 2. The public service commission, in consultation with the New York
State Energy and Research Development Authority, shall provide an annual
report on or before the first day of June to the governor, the temporary
president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority lead-
er of the senate, and the minority leader of the assembly reporting the
progress of their efforts and the effects of the program on the environ-
ment and public. Such report shall identify: (i) each utility that has
elected to install qualified voltage regulation equipment, the capital
and operating costs of which shall be recovered in the utility's rate
base; (ii) the amount of savings, if any, generated by the use of such
qualified voltage regulation devices; (iii) any improvements to such
utility's reliability measures and finances; and (iv) the number of such
qualified voltage regulation devices that are installed and in use by
customers in each utility's service areas.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
not later than the ninetieth day after this act shall have become a law,
the commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to prescribe the
standards and requirements with which qualified voltage regulation
equipment must comply in order to be installed by utilities in certain
service areas.