BILL NUMBER: S5866

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the energy law, in relation to requir-
ing an annual report on appliance and equipment energy efficiency stand-
ards and resulting energy and utility bill savings; and providing for
repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

This bill requires annual reporting on New York State's progress in
setting energy efficiency performance standards for appliances and
resulting savings in energy usage and utility bills.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new subdivision 4 to Energy Law § 16-106 to require
that beginning in 2021 the Secretary of State shall produce an annual
report on the activities undertaken by the Department of State (DOS)
pursuant to that section. This report shall be made by March 15th of
each year to the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Temporary
              

President of the Senate, the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Energy
and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications,
and shall be posted on the websites of DOS and the New York State Energy
Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) to inform the public on the
status of regulations establishing energy efficiency performance stand-
ards.

The report shall indicate for each appliance or other product enumerated
in Energy Law § 16104(1) whether the required performance standards have
been (a) adopted, (b) proposed, or (c) determined to be preempted by
Federal government energy efficiency standards. For any product that has
not been determined by DOS to be preempted by Federal government energy
efficiency standards and for which regulations establishing energy effi-
ciency performance standards have not been proposed, the report shall
set forth the reasons that no standards have been proposed.

Beginning in 2022 the report shall also set forth the estimated poten-
tial annual reductions in energy use and utility bill savings resulting
from adopted performance standards for the years 2025 and 2035, and the
potential cumulative reductions in energy use through the year 2035.

DOS shall consult with NYSERDA in preparing such estimates. Such report
shall be updated and a copy posted online by March 15th of each subse-
quent year until 2030 (a key target date for regional goals for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions).

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State has long recognized the many environmental and economic
benefits of promoting the efficient use of energy. The Governor recog-
nized this in his 2018 State of the State message and announced expanded
efforts to help scale state-level appliance efficiency, stating "Energy
efficiency is a highly effective way to lower energy bills for New York-
ers and to meet New York State's nation-leading clean energy and envi-
ronmental goals."

At the same time, however, DOS has fallen behind in meeting the existing
requirements of the Energy Law for establishing energy efficiency
performance standards. In 2005 the Legislature required DOS to adopt
regulations establishing such standards for 14 categories of commercial
and consumer products, and in 2010 added requirements to adopt such
regulations for 5 more product categories. While some of these products
have been preempted by the establishment of Federal standards, several
have not. To date, DOS has not even proposed regulations for any of the
product lines that are not preempted.

The missing standards include significant energy users such as tele-
visions and other consumer audio and video products, portable light
fixtures and water coolers. Performance standards for these products
have been successfully developed and enforced in a number of other
states, and there is no reason that New Yorkers should not also enjoy
the benefits of environmental protection and utility bill reductions
resulting from improved efficiency. The required reporting in this bill
will help ensure accountability in implementing Article 16 of the Energy
Law and will provide a template for monitoring the effectiveness of any
additional performance standards.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None. Sufficient funds have been appropriated annually to DOS beginning
in 2006 for the purpose of developing these regulations.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed December 31, 2030.