Senate Bill S8929

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8929
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              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:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public
 service  law,  as added by section 4 of part X of chapter 57 of the laws
 of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   (a) Each electric corporation subject to section twenty-five-a of this
 chapter shall annually, on or before December fifteenth, submit  to  the
 commission an emergency response plan for review and approval. The emer-
 gency response plan shall be designed for the reasonably prompt restora-
 tion  of service in the case of an emergency event, defined for purposes
 of this subdivision as an event where widespread outages  have  occurred
 in  the  service  territory of the company due to storms or other causes
 beyond the control of the company. The  emergency  response  plan  shall
 include,  but need not be limited to, the following: (i) the identifica-
 tion of management staff responsible for company  operations  during  an
 emergency;  (ii)  a communications system with customers during an emer-
 gency that extends beyond normal business hours and business conditions;
 (iii) identification of and outreach plans to customers  who  had  docu-
 mented  their  need  for  essential  electricity for medical needs; (iv)
 identification of and outreach plans to  customers  who  had  documented
 their  need  for  essential electricity to provide critical telecommuni-
 cations, critical transportation, critical fuel distribution services or
 other large-load customers identified by the commission; (v) designation
 of company staff to communicate with  local  officials  and  appropriate
 regulatory  agencies;  (vi)  provisions  regarding  how the company will
 assure the safety of its employees and contractors; (vii) procedures for
 deploying company and mutual aid crews to work assignment areas;  (viii)
 identification  of  additional  supplies  and equipment needed during an
 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
 
 ment;  (x)  procedures  to  practice  the  emergency response plan; (xi)
 appropriate safety precautions regarding electrical  hazards,  including
 plans to promptly secure downed wires within thirty-six hours of notifi-
 cation  of  the location of such downed wires from a municipal emergency
 official; (XII) PLANS SETTING FORTH HOW THE  COMMUNICATION  AND  COORDI-
 NATION OF EFFORTS BETWEEN THE ELECTRIC CORPORATION, ELECTRIC CORPORATION
 EMPLOYEES,  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION COMPANY CREWS, MUTUAL AID CREWS, OTHER
 UTILITIES INCLUDING CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES, INTERNET SERVICE PROVID-
 ERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND  ANY  OTHER  ENTITY  PERFORMING  SERVICES  TO
 ASSIST  SUCH  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION SHALL OCCUR; and [(xii)] (XIII) such
 other additional information as the commission may  require.  Each  such
 corporation  shall,  on  an  annual basis, undertake drills implementing
 procedures to practice its emergency management plan. The commission may
 adopt additional requirements consistent with  ensuring  the  reasonably
 prompt restoration of service in the case of an emergency event.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.