NY State Senate Bill S659

Archive: Last Bill Status - Passed Senate

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

Your Voice

Please enter your contact information

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

A valid email address is required.

Home address search or enter your address manually *

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Leave this field blank

Actions

view actions (16)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 25, 2022	referred to environmental conservation delivered to assembly passed senate
Jan 12, 2022	advanced to third reading
Jan 11, 2022	2nd report cal.
Jan 10, 2022	1st report cal.72
Jan 05, 2022	referred to environmental conservation returned to senate died in assembly
Jun 01, 2021	referred to environmental conservation delivered to assembly passed senate
May 12, 2021	advanced to third reading
May 11, 2021	2nd report cal.
May 10, 2021	1st report cal.971
Jan 06, 2021	referred to environmental conservation

Votes

view votes

Apr 25, 2022 - floor Vote

S659

floor

Aye

Nay

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Jan 10, 2022 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

S659

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Jun 1, 2021 - floor Vote

S659

floor

Aye

Nay

Absent

Excused

Abstained

May 10, 2021 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

S659

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Co-Sponsors

S659 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3874
Current Committee:: Assembly Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:: Add §9-0508, En Con L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S6775, A9025
2023-2024: S1918

S659 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to agreements, such as leases or easements, related to renewable energy development rights on reforestation areas.

S659 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S659

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
agreements related to renewable energy development rights on reforesta-
tion areas

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to allow the state to provide leases or
easements for siting or connecting renewable energy installations on
portions of the state's forested lands.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The bill adds a new section 9-0508 to the environmental conservation law
to allow the department to enter into agreements for the purpose of
aiding in the siting and connectivity of renewable energy installations,
as well as the transmission and distribution of electricity from those

installations on state forest lands classified as reforestation lands.

Any agreements entered into for this purpose would be recorded in the
office of general services and made available to the public on their
official website.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Existing law grants the state the right to enter into leases on refores-
tation lands for oil and gas rights (ECL § 9-0507). This section
provides that, "Notwithstanding any provisions of Article VII of the
Public Lands Law to the contrary, the department, with the approval of
the state geologist, may, in any lands acquired by the state in accord-
ance with section 9-0501, enter into leases for the purpose of aiding in
discovering and removing any oil or gas upon such lands or storage of
gas or oil thereon, under such terms as may be prescribed by the depart-
ment..."

No such similar authority is granted for non-fossil fuel development.
The recently enacted Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act
(S6599/A8429, Ch.106 Laws of 2019) sets aggressive targets and timeta-
bles for shifting the state's energy sources from fossil fuels to clean
energy sources like solar and wind. Therefore, allowing the state to
enter into agreements for such renewable energy production on certain
lands will be an important tool for reaching those targets. There are
currently 600,000 acres of reforestation lands in the state, according
to the department's website.

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

Revenue could be generated for the State under the terms of any agree-
ments made pursuant to this act.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019/2020: S6775 (May)

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

S659 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    659
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
   agreements  related to renewable energy development rights on refores-
   tation areas
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a
 new section 9-0508 to read as follows:
 § 9-0508. AGREEMENTS RELATED TO RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT  RIGHTS  ON
             REFORESTATION AREAS.
   NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  PROVISIONS  OF ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE PUBLIC LANDS
 LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE DEPARTMENT MAY, IN ANY LANDS  ACQUIRED  BY  THE
 STATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 9-0501 OF THIS TITLE, ENTER INTO AGREE-
 MENTS,  SUCH  AS  LEASES  OR EASEMENTS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF AIDING IN THE
 SITING AND CONNECTIVITY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS AND THE TRANS-
 MISSION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY  THEREFROM.  SUCH  INSTALLATIONS
 SHALL  INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, SOLAR POWER AND WIND POWER, UNDER
 SUCH TERMS AS MAY BE PRESCRIBED BY THE DEPARTMENT, AND UPON SUCH  CONDI-
 TIONS  THAT  THE  EXERCISE  OF SUCH AGREEMENT RIGHTS SHALL NOT INTERFERE
 WITH THE OPERATION OF SUCH REFORESTATION  AREAS  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  FOR
 WHICH  THEY  WERE  ACQUIRED  AND  AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE OF ARTICLE
 FOURTEEN OF THE NEW YORK STATE  CONSTITUTION.  ANY  AGREEMENT  MADE  AND
 ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE RECORDED IN THE OFFICE OF
 GENERAL  SERVICES  AND  BE  MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE OFFICIAL
 WEBSITE OF SUCH OFFICE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04693-01-1

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

The New York State Senate

senate Bill S659

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Passed Senate

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Apr 25, 2022 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Apr 25, 2022

Jan 10, 2022 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

Environmental Conservation Committee Vote: Jan 10, 2022

Jun 1, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 1, 2021

May 10, 2021 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

Environmental Conservation Committee Vote: May 10, 2021

Co-Sponsors

S659 (ACTIVE) - Details

S659 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S659 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S659 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S659

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Rachel May

Archive: Last Bill Status - Passed Senate

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Apr 25, 2022 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Apr 25, 2022

Jan 10, 2022 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

Environmental Conservation Committee Vote: Jan 10, 2022

Jun 1, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 1, 2021

May 10, 2021 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

Environmental Conservation Committee Vote: May 10, 2021

Co-Sponsors

Alessandra Biaggi

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

John W. Mannion

S659 (ACTIVE) - Details

S659 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S659 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S659 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments