S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  6130

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             August 12, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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  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

              

S. 6130                             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.