Senate Bill S2480A

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2480--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. RITCHIE, SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Corporations,
   Authorities  and Commissions -- recommitted to the Committee on Corpo-
   rations, Authorities and Commissions in accordance with Senate Rule 6,
   sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee and committed to  the
   Committee  on  Finance  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
   relation to creating the dairy farm improved energy efficiency program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  findings.   The legislature hereby finds and
 declares that due to their remote locations at the end of  the  electric
 grid  infrastructure,  farms  are  more difficult to service by electric
 utilities.  Strengthening the energy systems  of  individual  farms  and
 developing  micro-grids  in  remote areas will enhance the overall reli-
 ability of the electric system.   The  legislature  further  finds  that
 assisting  dairy  farms  with  high efficiency lighting, high efficiency
 pumping and cooling equipment, and other energy management systems, will
 result in significant energy savings and increased  milk  yields.    The
 legislature  hereby  declares that providing low cost tools and programs
 to farmers will help farm operations become more  efficient  and  reduce
 their cost of doing business.  Advancing new technologies will also help
 to  accelerate  the  development  of  the energy services industry, thus
 providing new and expanded job opportunities for New Yorkers.
   Therefore, the legislature seeks to provide funds to encourage  energy
 efficient dairy farms through grants and low interest loans for approved
 projects to stimulate the New York state dairy industry.
   §  2.  Section  1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting the
 New York state urban development corporation act, is amended by adding a
 new section 16-aaa to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07351-02-8

 S. 2480--A                          2
 
   § 16-AAA. DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM.   1.    DEFI-
 NITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "AUTHORITY" SHALL MEAN THE NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH DEVELOP-
 MENT AUTHORITY.
   (B)  "LOAN  FUND"  SHALL REFER TO THE DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFI-
 CIENCY LOAN FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   2. (A) THE CORPORATION, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF  THE  AUTHORITY,  SHALL
 ESTABLISH  A  DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOAN FUND TO PROVIDE
 GRANTS AND LOW INTEREST LOANS  TO  DAIRY  FARMS  FOR  ENERGY  EFFICIENCY
 PROJECTS AND ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.
   (B)  IN  ORDER  TO  BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS LOAN PROGRAM, A
 DAIRY FARM MUST HAVE AN ENERGY AUDIT PROVIDED  THROUGH  THE  AUTHORITY'S
 ENERGY AUDIT PROGRAM THAT HELPS CUSTOMERS MAKE INFORMED ELECTRICAL ENER-
 GY DECISIONS AND IMPLEMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES.
   3. (A) THE CORPORATION SHALL, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, PROVIDE
 FINANCIAL,  TECHNICAL OR OTHER ASSISTANCE FROM THE LOAN FUND TO ELIGIBLE
 DAIRY FARMS.
   (B) THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE GRANTS AND  LOW  INTEREST
 LOANS  FROM  THE LOAN FUND FOR ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO DAIRY FARMS.  TO
 BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH GRANTS AND LOANS, A DAIRY FARM  SHALL  IDENTIFY  AN
 ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND PROVIDE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION.
   (C)  GRANTS  OR  LOANS  PROVIDED  BY  THE CORPORATION MAY BE UP TO ONE
 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS OR LOW  INTEREST
 LOANS THROUGH THE LOAN FUND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  PRE-QUALIFIED MEASURES THAT ARE PROVEN COST EFFECTIVE INVESTMENTS
 WHICH REDUCE ENERGY USE;
   (B) CUSTOM MEASURES THAT PAY  FOR  THEMSELVES  IN  TEN  YEARS  THROUGH
 REDUCED ENERGY USE;
   (C)  PROCESS IMPROVEMENT MEASURES THAT REDUCE MANUFACTURING ENERGY USE
 ON A COST-PER-UNIT BASIS; AND
   (D) RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES THAT USE THE SUN, WIND, ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
 OF ANIMAL WASTES OR OTHER APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES TO GENERATE  HEAT  OR
 POWER.
   5.  APPLICATIONS  FOR  ASSISTANCE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 REVIEWED AND EVALUATED  BY  THE  CORPORATION  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE
 AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND CRITERIA SET FORTH IN
 THE RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE CORPORATION.
   6.  THE  CORPORATION  AND THE AUTHORITY SHALL SUBMIT AN ANNUAL WRITTEN
 REPORT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
 SENATE IDENTIFYING THE NUMBER OF DAIRY FARMS ASSISTED THROUGH  THE  LOAN
 FUND  PROGRAM, AND THE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS IMPLEMENTED AND ENERGY COST
 SAVINGS AND ANY OTHER BENEFITS REALIZED BY THE DAIRY FARMS  ASSISTED  BY
 THIS PROGRAM.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.