S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7686
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               April 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SHRESTHA, MAMDANI, SIMON, BURDICK, GONZALEZ-RO-
   JAS, GALLAGHER, SAYEGH,  WOERNER,  KIM,  MEEKS,  CUNNINGHAM,  SHIMSKY,
   STIRPE, EPSTEIN, DAVILA, SIMONE, STECK, EACHUS, RIVERA, KELLES, RAMOS,
   MITAYNES,  ANDERSON,  LEVENBERG, FORREST, SEAWRIGHT, ALVAREZ, TAPIA --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Energy

 AN ACT to amend the public  authorities  law  and  the  energy  law,  in
   relation to the New York power authority's conferral process
 
   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 "public renewables transparency act".
   §  2.  Paragraph (d) of subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of the public
 authorities law, as amended by section 28 of part O of chapter 58 of the
 laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   (d) No later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date  of
 this  subdivision,  and  annually thereafter, the authority shall confer
 with the New York state energy research and development  authority,  the
 department  of  public  service,  climate  and resiliency experts, labor
 organizations, and environmental  justice  and  community  organizations
 concerning  the  state's  progress on meeting the renewable energy goals
 established by the climate leadership and community protection act.   AT
 EACH  BOARD  OF TRUSTEES' MEETING, THERE SHALL BE A PUBLIC REPORT DELIV-
 ERED AND PUBLISHED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUTHORI-
 TY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC  PLAN.  THE  AUTHORITY  SHALL
 ALSO  MAINTAIN A PUBLIC DASHBOARD DEMONSTRATING THEIR PROGRESS IN IMPLE-
 MENTING THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC PLAN. When
 exercising the authority provided for in paragraph (a) of this  subdivi-
 sion,  the information developed through such conferral shall be used to
 identify projects to help ensure that the state meets  its  goals  under
 the  climate  leadership  and  community  protection  act. Any conferral
 provided for in this paragraph shall include consideration of the timing
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00523-02-5
              

 A. 7686                             2
 
 of projects in the interconnection queue  of  the  federally  designated
 electric  bulk  system  operator for New York state, taking into account
 both capacity  factors  or  planned  projects  and  the  interconnection
 queue's  historical  completion rate. A report on the information devel-
 oped through such conferral shall be published and  made  accessible  on
 the  website  of the authority, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE BASIS
 OF THE CONFERRAL REPORT. THE PUBLISHED BASIS SHALL  INCLUDE  NOTES  FROM
 THE CONFERRAL MEETINGS.
   §  3.  Paragraph (d) of subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of the public
 authorities law, as added by section 1 of part QQ of chapter 56  of  the
 laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   (d)  No later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
 this subdivision, and annually thereafter, the  authority  shall  confer
 with  the  New York state energy research and development authority, the
 office of renewable energy siting, the  department  of  public  service,
 climate  and  resiliency experts, labor organizations, and environmental
 justice and community organizations concerning the state's  progress  on
 meeting the renewable energy goals established by the climate leadership
 and  community protection act. AT EACH BOARD OF TRUSTEES' MEETING, THERE
 SHALL BE A PUBLIC REPORT DELIVERED AND PUBLISHED ON THE DEVELOPMENT  AND
 IMPLEMENTATION  OF THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION STRATEGIC
 PLAN.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL ALSO MAINTAIN A PUBLIC DASHBOARD  DEMONSTRAT-
 ING  THEIR  PROGRESS  IN  IMPLEMENTING  THE AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY
 GENERATION STRATEGIC PLAN. When exercising the authority provided for in
 paragraph (a) of this subdivision,  the  information  developed  through
 such  conferral  shall  be used to identify projects to help ensure that
 the state meets its goals under the  climate  leadership  and  community
 protection  act.  Any  conferral  provided  for  in this paragraph shall
 include consideration of the timing of projects in  the  interconnection
 queue  of the federally designated electric bulk system operator for New
 York state,  taking  into  account  both  capacity  factors  or  planned
 projects  and  the interconnection queue's historical completion rate. A
 report on the information developed  through  such  conferral  shall  be
 published  and  made accessible on the website of the authority, INCLUD-
 ING, BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO,  THE  BASIS  OF  THE  CONFERRAL  REPORT.  THE
 PUBLISHED BASIS SHALL INCLUDE NOTES FROM THE CONFERRAL MEETINGS.
   §  4.  Clauses  (J)  and  (K) of subparagraph (iv) of paragraph (e) of
 subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of the public authorities law, as added
 by section 1 of part QQ of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023,  are  amended
 to read as follows:
   (J)  the state's progress towards achieving the renewable energy goals
 of the climate leadership and community protection act; [and]
   (K) METHODOLOGIES AND MODELING SHOWING THEIR FINANCIAL  AND  TECHNICAL
 CAPABILITIES  IN  A  VARIETY  OF  SCENARIOS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 BONDING CAPABILITIES,  EXPECTED  RETURN  ON  INVESTMENT,  ENERGY  NEEDS,
 RENEWABLE  PROGRESS,  SITING  POTENTIAL,  GRID INTERCONNECTION, EXISTING
 LABOR POOL NEEDS, AND JOB CREATION. THE  STRATEGIC  PLAN  SHALL  INCLUDE
 QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENTS OF VARIOUS BORROWING SCENARIOS, INCLUDING USING
 GREEN BONDS TO RAISE CAPITAL FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS
 THE  IMPACT THAT EACH SCENARIO WOULD HAVE ON THE AUTHORITY'S BOND RATING
 AND THE ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL INTEREST EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH  A  POTEN-
 TIAL  RATING  CHANGE.  THE STRATEGIC PLAN SHALL ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR
 LEVERAGING OTHER SOURCES  OF  CAPITAL  WITHIN  THE  AUTHORITY,  SUCH  AS
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, OTHER SOURCES OF STATE FUNDING, AND OPPORTU-
 NITIES FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE; AND
   (L) any other information the authority determines to be appropriate.
 A. 7686                             3
 
   §  5.  Subparagraph  (vii)  of  paragraph  (e)  of subdivision 27-a of
 section 1005 of the public authorities law, as added  by  section  1  of
 part  QQ  of  chapter  56  of  the  laws  of 2023, is amended to read as
 follows:
   (vii)  The  authority  shall post a draft of the strategic plan on its
 website for public comment for a period of at least sixty days  STARTING
 NO  LATER  THAN  OCTOBER  ELEVENTH,  and shall hold at least [three] SIX
 public hearings on the draft strategic plan in regionally diverse  parts
 of  the state. IN-PERSON HEARINGS SHALL BE HELD IN LOCATIONS WITH ACCESS
 TO PUBLIC TRANSIT.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE AN OPTION FOR STAKEHOLD-
 ERS TO SUBMIT COMMENTS REMOTELY AS WELL, AND INCORPORATE  FEEDBACK  FROM
 SUCH SESSIONS AND WRITTEN COMMENTS INTO THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE STRATEGIC
 PLAN.    COMMENTS SHALL BE MADE PUBLIC NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS AFTER THE
 COMMENT PERIOD ENDS.
   § 6. Section 6-102 of the energy law, as added by chapter 433  of  the
 laws  of  2009, subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 as amended by chapter 195 of the
 laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   § 6-102. State energy planning board. 1. There shall be established  a
 state  energy  planning  board,  hereinafter referred to as the "board",
 which shall consist of the chair of the public service  commission,  the
 commissioner  of environmental conservation, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
 OF THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY, the commissioner of  economic  develop-
 ment, the commissioner of transportation, the commissioner of labor, the
 commissioner   of  the  division  of  homeland  security  and  emergency
 services, the commissioner of agriculture and markets, the  commissioner
 of  health,  the  secretary  of  state and the president of the New York
 state energy research  and  development  authority.  The  governor,  the
 speaker  of the assembly and the temporary president of the senate shall
 each appoint one additional representative to serve on the board.    The
 presiding officer of the federally designated electric bulk system oper-
 ator (BSO) shall serve as a non-voting member of the board. Any decision
 or  action  by the board shall be by majority vote. The president of the
 New York state energy research and development authority shall serve  as
 chair  of  the  board.  Members  of the board may designate an executive
 staff representative to participate on the board on their behalf.
   2. Regional planning councils shall be established. Two regions  shall
 be established as follows:
   (a)  Downstate  region  -  New York City and Dutchess, Nassau, Orange,
 Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties;
   (b) Upstate region - Albany, Allegany,  Broome,  Cattaraugus,  Cayuga,
 Chautauqua,  Chemung,  Chenango,  Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware,
 Erie, Essex, Franklin,  Fulton,  Genesee,  Greene,  Hamilton,  Herkimer,
 Jefferson,  Lewis,  Livingston,  Madison,  Monroe,  Montgomery, Niagara,
 Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer,  Sarato-
 ga,  Schenectady,  Schoharie,  Schuyler,  Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben,
 Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and  Yates
 counties.
   The governor, temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the
 assembly  shall each appoint three regional planning council members per
 region. Regional planning council members shall  serve  without  compen-
 sation,  and  shall have their principal residence within the region for
 which they are appointed. Such  regional  council  members  may  solicit
 input  from stakeholder interests within their region, including but not
 limited to local governments, municipal utilities, rural electric  coop-
 eratives, utilities, labor unions, ratepayers, businesses, trade associ-
 ations,  generators, and community organizations. Each regional planning
 A. 7686                             4
 
 council shall transmit to the board a report containing any  recommenda-
 tions specific to its region on a schedule determined by the board to be
 appropriate  for  consideration of such report in the development of the
 draft energy plan.
   3. Staff services shall be performed by personnel of the department of
 public  service,  the  department of environmental conservation, THE NEW
 YORK POWER AUTHORITY, the department of transportation,  the  department
 of economic development, the division of homeland security and emergency
 services and the New York state energy research and development authori-
 ty,  as  directed by the board. Assistance shall also be made available,
 as requested by the board, from other agencies, departments  and  public
 authorities  of  the  state. The board may provide for its own represen-
 tation in all actions or proceedings in which it is a party.
   § 7. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the  amend-
 ments to paragraph (d) of subdivision 27-a of section 1005 of the public
 authorities  law made by section two of this act shall be subject to the
 expiration and reversion of such paragraph pursuant  to  section  34  of
 part  O  of  chapter  58 of the laws of 2024, as amended, when upon such
 date the provisions of section three of this act shall take effect.