The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  932--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
   amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the public service law and the public  authorities  law,
   in  relation  to  requiring the emergency response plan of an electric
   corporation to include plans for how  the  communication  and  coordi-
   nation 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02591-06-1

 S. 932--A                           2
 
 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-
 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, 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.  Paragraph 1 of subdivision (cc) of section 1020-f of the public
 authorities law, as added by section 7 of part A of chapter 173  of  the
 laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  The  service  provider  shall, in consultation with the authority,
 prepare and maintain an  emergency  response  plan  (i)  to  assure  the
 reasonably  prompt  restoration  of  service in the case of an emergency
 event, defined for purposes of this subdivision as an event where  wide-
 spread outages have occurred in the authority's service territory due to
 a  storm  or  other  causes  beyond the control of the authority and the
 service provider, (ii) consistent with the requirements of paragraph (a)
 of subdivision twenty-one of section sixty-six of the public service law
 and any regulations and orders adopted thereto, and  (iii)  establishing
 the  separate  responsibilities  of  the authority and service provider.
 SUCH EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN SHALL INCLUDE PLANS SETTING FORTH  HOW  THE
 COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION OF EFFORTS BETWEEN THE AUTHORITY, SERVICE
 PROVIDER,  AUTHORITY  EMPLOYEES,  SERVICE  PROVIDER EMPLOYEES, AUTHORITY
 COMPANY CREWS, SERVICE PROVIDER COMPANY CREWS, MUTUAL AID  CREWS,  OTHER
 UTILITIES,  LOCAL  GOVERNMENTS  AND ANY SERVICE PROVIDER OR OTHER ENTITY
 PERFORMING SERVICES TO ASSIST THE AUTHORITY SHALL OCCUR.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.