NY State Senate Bill 2023-S8628A

Senate Bill S8628A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Authorizes and directs the public service commission to conduct a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the electrical grid

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 14, 2024	print number 8628a
May 14, 2024	amend and recommit to energy and telecommunications
Feb 22, 2024	referred to energy and telecommunications

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2023-S8628 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10365
Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Services
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:: S1227, A4127

2023-S8628 - Summary

Authorizes and directs the public service commission to conduct a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the electrical grid to meet the state's renewable energy goals set out under the climate leadership and community protection act; directs the public service commission to submit a report on its findings one year after the effective date.

2023-S8628 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8628

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to authorize and direct the public service commission to conduct
a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the
electrical grid

 
PURPOSE:

To produce a study on regulatory barriers to the deployment of energy
interconnection processes in the state

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 authorizes the public service commission to conduct a study on
the deployment of energy interconnection processes

Section 2 directs the public service commission to submit a report on
their findings to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and tempo-
rary president of the senate, along with any recommendations

Section 3 provides definitions for "energy interconnection process,"
"electrical grid," and "renewable energy resources"

Section 4 establishes the effective date of the bill

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In order to reach the goals set out by the Climate and Community
Protection Act, New York state must examine how each part of our power
system works and maximize the efficiency at which we operate.  One area
that has received lots of national focus is the interconnection process.
Interconnection is the process through which power generation facilities
are connected to the larger energy grid.  Last July, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) mandated changes to transmission providers'
interconnection rules, aiming to address requests from generators and
energy storage developers to connect to the grid.

One process that has received a lot of attention is a "connect and
manage" approach. In our current approach, there is an interconnection
queue, and a study has to be completed for each proposed project to
ensure that the overall grid system has capacity before a project is
allowed to connect to the grid. The queue can be delayed because an
extensive study has to be completed for each proposed energy production
facility. However, in a connect and manage approach, production gener-
ation facilities are brought onto the grid, and then the grid operator
directs the facility to curtail energy production if needed during times
of high congestion on the grid. This allows for much faster deployment
of new renewable energy generation projects, as this is a much more
efficient process.  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
has seen success in bringing in new energy at a rapid clip onto the grid
after adopting this type of approach.

This bill is designed to holistically study our interconnection process
in New York State and ensure that our process is able to bring enough
renewable energy onto the grid to hit our important climate change
goals. There are a wide variety of system changes, processes, and new
technologies that can be studied to ensure maximum productivity in
bringing new electric production onto the grid.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2023-S8628 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8628
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 22, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN  ACT to authorize and direct the public service commission to conduct
   a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the
   electrical grid
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Study.  The  public  service commission is authorized and
 directed to conduct a study on the regulatory barriers, if any,  to  the
 rapid  deployment  of energy interconnection processes in the state that
 shall include, but not be limited to, potential  changes  to  the  elec-
 trical  grid  to  rapidly  bring new renewable energy resources onto the
 electrical grid to meet the state's renewable energy goals set out under
 the climate leadership and community protection act, as amended.
   § 2. Report. No later than one year after the effective date  of  this
 act,  the  public  service  commission shall submit to the governor, the
 speaker of the assembly and the temporary president  of  the  senate,  a
 report  assessing  its  findings  under  the study conducted pursuant to
 section one of this act, and any recommendations to  rapidly  bring  new
 renewable  energy resources onto the electrical grid to meet the state's
 renewable energy goals set out under the climate leadership and communi-
 ty protection act, as amended.
   § 3. Definitions. For the purposes of this act,  the  following  terms
 shall have the following meanings:
   1.  "Energy  interconnection process" means the process of integrating
 new sources of renewable energy resources, as defined by  section  1-103
 of the energy law, into the electrical grid.
   2.  "Electrical  grid"  means the network of electric plants and other
 electric generating facilities and  equipment,  and  electricity  trans-
 mission and distribution systems in the state.
   3. "Renewable energy resources" shall have the same meaning as defined
 by section 1-103 of the energy law.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD14526-01-4

2023-S8628A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10365
Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Services
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:: S1227, A4127

2023-S8628A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S8628A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8628A

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to authorize and direct the public service commission to conduct
a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the
electrical grid

 
PURPOSE:

To produce a study on regulatory barriers to the deployment of energy
interconnection processes in the state

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 authorizes the public service commission to conduct a study on
the deployment of energy interconnection processes

Section 2 directs the public service commission to submit a report on
their findings to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and tempo-
rary president of the senate, along with any recommendations

Section 3 provides definitions for "energy interconnect on process,"
"electrical grid," and "renewable energy resources"

Section 4 establishes the effective date of the bill

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In order to reach the goals set out by the Climate and Community
Protection Act, New York state most examine how each part of our power
system works and maximize the efficiency at which we operate.  One area
that has received lots of national focus is the interconnection process.
Interconnection is the process through which power generation facilities
are connected to the larger energy grid.  Last July, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) mandated changes to transmission providers'
interconnection rules, aiming to address requests from generators and
energy storage developers to connect to the grid.

One process that has received a lot of attention is a "connect and
manage" approach. In our current approach, there is an interconnection
queue, and a study has to be completed for each proposed project to
ensure that the overall grid system has capacity before a project is
allowed to connect to the grid. The queue can be delayed because an
extensive study has to be completed for each proposed energy production
facility. However, in a connect and manage approach, production gener-
ation facilities are brought onto the grid, and then the grid operator
directs the facility to curtail energy production if needed during times
of high congestion on the grid. This allows for much faster deployment
of new renewable energy generation projects, as this is a much more
efficient process. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has
seen success in bringing in new energy at a rapid clip onto the grid
after adopting this type of approach.

This bill is designed to holistically study our interconnection process
in New York State and ensure that our process is able to bring enough
renewable energy onto the grid to hit our important climate change
goals. There are a wide variety of system changes, processes, and new
technologies that can be studied to ensure maximum productivity in
bringing new electric production onto the grid.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL INWLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2023-S8628A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8628--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 22, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 authorize and direct the public service commission to  conduct
   a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the
   electrical grid
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Study. The public  service  commission  is  authorized  and
 directed  to  conduct a study on the regulatory barriers, if any, to the
 rapid deployment of energy interconnection processes in the  state  that
 shall include, but not be limited to:
   (a)  Potential changes to the interconnection process to rapidly bring
 new renewable energy resources onto the  electrical  grid  to  meet  the
 state's  renewable energy goals set out under the climate leadership and
 community protection act, as amended;
   (b) The state's ability  to  comply  with  goals  established  in  the
 climate  leadership  and  community  protection  act,  as  amended, with
 current energy interconnection process timelines, including  the  effect
 of  recent  reforms  by the New York Independent System Operator and any
 additional anticipated reforms;
   (c) The experience of other interconnection systems using "Connect and
 Manage" or other alternative connection agreements in terms of the speed
 of resource deployments and electrical grid reliability;
   (d) The extent to which the studies  and  network  upgrades  currently
 required for Energy Resource Interconnection Service projects in the New
 York  Independent  System  Operator go beyond the minimal set of studies
 and network upgrades needed to safely operate  the  system  with  a  new
 resource, in comparison to the United Kingdom's Enabling Works approach;
   (e)  Whether it is possible to identify more efficient system upgrades
 in the context of the New York Independent System Operator comprehensive
 system  planning  process  rather  than  certain  studies  and  upgrades
 currently in the energy interconnection process;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD14526-03-4
 S. 8628--A                          2
 
   (f)  Whether  projects  that  initially  join  the  system with Energy
 Resource Interconnection Service status can be elevated to  the  Network
 Resource  Interconnection  Service  status  upon  completion of relevant
 network upgrades, to determine if there is a mechanism by which  genera-
 tors  could  be  allocated  part  of  the cost of such upgrades, if such
 upgrades are completed via the  comprehensive  system  planning  process
 rather than the energy interconnection process;
   (g)  Improvements  to the interconnection process for qualified energy
 storage systems as defined by subdivision 1 of section 74 of the  public
 service law; and
   (h)  Whether  any changes identified in this study at the transmission
 level would also improve processes at the distribution level.
   § 2. Report. No later than one year after the effective date  of  this
 act,  the  public  service  commission shall submit to the governor, the
 speaker of the assembly and the temporary president  of  the  senate,  a
 report  assessing  its  findings  under  the study conducted pursuant to
 section one of this act, and any recommendations to  rapidly  bring  new
 renewable  energy resources onto the electrical grid to meet the state's
 renewable energy goals set out under the climate leadership and communi-
 ty protection act, as amended.
   § 3. Definitions. For the purposes of this act,  the  following  terms
 shall have the following meanings:
   (a)  "Energy interconnection process" means the process of integrating
 new sources of renewable energy resources, as defined by  section  1-103
 of the energy law, into the electrical grid.
   (b)  "Electrical  grid" means the network of electric plants and other
 electric generating facilities and  equipment,  and  electricity  trans-
 mission and distribution systems in the state.
   (c)  "Renewable  energy  resources"  shall  have  the  same meaning as
 defined by section 1-103 of the energy law.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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