S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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11141
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 24, 2026
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Introduced by M. of A. KAY -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Energy
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to enacting the
"renewable natural gas standard act"
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "renewable natural gas standard act".
§ 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-x to
read as follows:
§ 66-X. ESTABLISHMENT OF A RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS STANDARD. 1. (A) THE
LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS THAT:
(I) THE CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT (CLCPA)
REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, INCLUDING A
FORTY PERCENT REDUCTION IN STATEWIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY TWO
THOUSAND THIRTY-ONE AND AN EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT REDUCTION IN STATEWIDE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY TWO THOUSAND FIFTY-ONE;
(II) IN ORDER TO MEET THESE AGGRESSIVE TARGETS, IT IS NECESSARY TO
FURTHER DEVELOP RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, INCLUDING RENEWABLE NATURAL
GAS;
(III) THE PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS IS A DESIRABLE SOURCE OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY BECAUSE IT CAPTURES METHANE OTHERWISE EMITTED INTO THE
ATMOSPHERE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES OF WASTE, THEREBY REDUCING GREENHOUSE
GAS REDUCTIONS;
(IV) RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS IS AN IMPORTANT RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE TO
PAIR WITH MORE INTERMITTENT RESOURCES (SOLAR, WIND) BECAUSE IT IS READI-
LY AVAILABLE AND CAN USE EXISTING NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RELI-
ABLE STORAGE AND DELIVERY; AND
(V) HARNESSING RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS AS A FUEL OPTION WILL ADVANCE THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE CLCPA'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION GOALS,
RETAIN EXISTING AND/OR CREATE NEW JOBS, STIMULATE THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND
PROVIDE POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS FOR ENTITIES SUCH AS LOCAL
FARMERS AND MUNICIPALITIES.
(B) THE LEGISLATURE THEREFORE DECLARES THAT:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11308-03-6
A. 11141 2
(I) RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS CAN BE A CARBON-NEGATIVE RESOURCE AND ITS
USE IS NECESSARY TO DECARBONIZE THE GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM; AND
(II) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS STANDARD FOR GAS
CORPORATIONS IS REQUIRED TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE
NATURAL GAS IN NEW YORK AND SUPPORT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE CLCPA GREEN-
HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION GOALS.
2. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
(A) "BIOGAS" MEANS A MIXTURE OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND HYDROCARBONS,
PRIMARILY METHANE GAS, RELEASED FROM THE BIOLOGICAL DECOMPOSITION OF
ORGANIC MATERIALS;
(B) "ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTE" MEANS ANY CREDITS, BENEFITS, OFFSETS OR
ALLOWANCES, INCLUDING ALLOWANCES UNDER ALL APPLICABLE TRADING, COMPLI-
ANCE, OR BUDGET PROGRAMS, OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL, STATE, OR REGIONAL EMIS-
SION, RENEWABLE ENERGY, OR ENERGY CONSERVATION TRADING OR BUDGET PROGRAM
ASSOCIATED WITH RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS;
(C) "LIFE CYCLE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS" MEANS THE AGGREGATE QUANTITY
OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS RELATED TO THE FULL FUEL LIFE CYCLE, INCLUD-
ING ALL STAGES OF FUEL AND FEEDSTOCK PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, FROM
FEEDSTOCK GENERATION OR EXTRACTION THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION AND DELIVERY
AND USE OF THE FINISHED FUEL TO THE CUSTOMER;
(D) "RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES" MEANS HYDROELECTRIC, GEOTHERMAL, SOLAR
PHOTOVOLTAIC, WIND, TIDAL, WAVE, BIOMASS, BIOGAS OR SIMILAR ENERGY
SOURCES;
(E) "RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS" MEANS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS PROC-
ESSED TO MEET PIPELINE QUALITY STANDARDS OR TRANSPORTATION FUEL GRADE
REQUIREMENTS:
(I) BIOGAS THAT IS UPGRADED TO MEET NATURAL GAS PIPELINE QUALITY STAN-
DARDS SUCH THAT IT MAY BLEND WITH, OR SUBSTITUTE FOR, GEOLOGIC NATURAL
GAS;
(II) HYDROGEN GAS PRODUCED USING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND/OR
PRODUCED WITH A CARBON INTENSITY EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN TWO KILOGRAMS OF
CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT PRODUCED AT THE SITE OF PRODUCTION PER KILO-
GRAM OF HYDROGEN PRODUCED; OR
(III) METHANE GAS DERIVED FROM ANY COMBINATION OF BIOGAS, HYDROGEN GAS
DERIVED FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES OR WASTE CARBON DIOXIDE; AND
(F) "RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE" MEANS EQUIPMENT AND FACILI-
TIES NECESSARY FOR THE PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, PIPELINE INTERCONNECTION,
AND DISTRIBUTION OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS BY A GAS CORPORATION TO
CUSTOMERS.
3. NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN, THE COMMIS-
SION SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO REQUIRE THAT GAS CORPORATIONS PROCURE
RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS FROM THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING AFFILIATES OF THE
GAS CORPORATION, FOR DISTRIBUTION TO NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS. THE PROGRAM
SHALL REQUIRE GAS CORPORATIONS TO PROCURE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS TO MEET
THE FOLLOWING TARGETS:
(A) FOR EACH OF THE CALENDAR YEARS TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN THROUGH
TWO THOUSAND THIRTY-ONE, AT LEAST FIVE PERCENT OF THE GAS CORPORATION'S
TOTAL VOLUMETRIC PURCHASES SHALL BE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS;
(B) FOR EACH OF THE CALENDAR YEARS TWO THOUSAND THIRTY-TWO THROUGH TWO
THOUSAND THIRTY-SIX, AT LEAST TEN PERCENT OF THE GAS CORPORATION'S TOTAL
VOLUMETRIC PURCHASES SHALL BE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS;
(C) FOR EACH OF THE CALENDAR YEARS TWO THOUSAND THIRTY-SEVEN THROUGH
TWO THOUSAND FORTY-ONE, AT LEAST FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE GAS CORPO-
RATION'S TOTAL VOLUMETRIC PURCHASES SHALL BE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS;
A. 11141 3
(D) FOR EACH OF THE CALENDAR YEARS TWO THOUSAND FORTY-TWO THROUGH TWO
THOUSAND FORTY-SIX, AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT OF THE GAS CORPORATION'S
TOTAL VOLUMETRIC PURCHASES SHALL BE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS; AND
(E) FOR EACH OF THE CALENDAR YEARS TWO THOUSAND FORTY-SEVEN THROUGH
TWO THOUSAND FIFTY-ONE, AT LEAST TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE GAS CORPO-
RATION'S TOTAL VOLUMETRIC PURCHASES SHALL BE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS.
4. IN ESTABLISHING THE PROGRAM SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS
SECTION, THE COMMISSION SHALL:
(A) ADOPT COST RECOVERY MECHANISMS TO ALLOW A GAS CORPORATION TO
RECOVER COSTS RELATED TO THE PURCHASE OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS AND COSTS
RELATED TO RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY FOR A GAS
CORPORATION TO COMPLY WITH THE TARGETS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION THREE
OF THIS SECTION;
(B) PROVIDE FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANY ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES ASSOCI-
ATED WITH THE PURCHASE OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS;
(C) CONSIDER APPROPRIATE COST MITIGATION MEASURES;
(D) PROVIDE FOR THE VERIFICATION OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS PROCURED BY
GAS CORPORATIONS;
(E) PROVIDE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES RELATED TO THE PRODUCTION AND PROC-
ESSING OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS TO ENTITIES THAT OWN NON-HAZARDOUS LAND-
FILLS, DAIRY FARMS, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND FOOD WASTE PROCESS-
ING FACILITIES;
(F) DESIGN THE PROGRAM IN A MANNER TO MAXIMIZE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS IN NEW YORK STATE; AND
(G) DESIGN THE PROGRAM IN A MANNER TO PROVIDE BENEFITS TO DISADVAN-
TAGED COMMUNITIES, AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE SEVENTY-FIVE OF THE ENVIRON-
MENTAL CONSERVATION LAW, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE.
5. GAS CORPORATIONS SHALL, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, PRIORITIZE THE
PROCUREMENT OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS FROM NON-HAZARDOUS LANDFILLS,
FARMS, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND FOOD WASTE PROCESSING FACILITIES.
6. IN THE EVENT A GAS CORPORATION IS NOT ABLE TO PROCURE THE VOLUME OF
RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS IN ANY CALENDAR YEAR NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THE
TARGETS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION, THE GAS CORPO-
RATION MAY PETITION THE COMMISSION FOR A WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION FOR THAT CALENDAR YEAR. THE COMMISSION
SHALL GRANT A WAIVER PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION IF THE GAS CORPORATION
DEMONSTRATES THAT (A) THERE IS NOT AN ADEQUATE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS
SUPPLY FOR THE GAS CORPORATION TO PROCURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TARGETS
ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION OR (B) COMPLYING WITH
THE TARGETS WOULD HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE GAS CORPORATION AND ITS
RATEPAYERS.
7. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY CALCU-
LATION OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PRODUCED BY THE DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM OF A GAS CORPORATION SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THE LIFE CYCLE GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS, INCLUDING AVOIDED
EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE
NATURAL GAS.
§ 3. Section 66-f of the public service law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. THE PURCHASE OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS BY A GAS CORPORATION FOR THE
PURPOSES OF COMPLYING WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION SIXTY-SIX-X OF
THIS ARTICLE SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.