Assembly Bill A8541

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8541
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Energy
 
 AN ACT directing the department of public service, New York state energy
   research  and  development  authority,  and the power authority of the
   state of New York to commission a study on the utilization  of  direc-
   tional  noise  reduction  optimization technology for wind turbines in
   New York state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The department of public service, in conjunction with the
 New York state energy research and development authority, and the  power
 authority  of  the  state  of  New  York shall commission a study on the
 utilization of directional noise reduction optimization  technology  for
 wind turbines in New York state. The study shall evaluate the effective-
 ness  of directional noise reduction optimization technology in reducing
 noise levels and its impact on energy production as compared with  other
 operational methods of reducing wind turbine noise levels.
   § 2. Such study shall include:
   a.  an  assessment  of  current  operational  noise mitigation methods
 implemented across New York State at currently  operating  wind  facili-
 ties;
   b.  an  assessment  of  the  current  deployment  of directional noise
 reduction optimization in wind turbines within New York state and  other
 regions with similar conditions, as appropriate;
   c.  an analysis of existing peer-reviewed studies on directional noise
 reduction optimization and  related  noise  reduction  technologies,  if
 available;
   d.  an  analysis  of  current directional noise reduction optimization
 technology, including existing directional noise reduction  optimization
 technologies  and  their effectiveness in different environmental condi-
 tions;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11566-01-5
              

 A. 8541                             2
 
   e. collaboration with existing wind facilities within New  York  state
 to  gather  data on noise levels, turbine operations, and energy output,
 at facilities  implementing  directional  noise  reduction  optimization
 compared  with  facilities  implementing other noise mitigation methods;
 and
   f.  a  comparison  of  energy  production of turbines with and without
 directional noise reduction optimization  implementation  under  various
 operational conditions, including a comparison of energy production with
 noise  reduction  techniques that more broadly apply these techniques in
 all wind directions.
   § 3. Upon completion of the study, the department of  public  service,
 in  conjunction  with the New York state energy research and development
 authority, and the power authority of the state of New York shall joint-
 ly provide recommendations for  the  utilization  of  directional  noise
 reduction  optimization  technology  in  the  state and, if appropriate,
 suggest statutory or regulatory amendments needed to support  the  inte-
 gration  of  directional  noise  reduction  optimization  in the state's
 renewable energy strategy.
   § 4. The study shall be commissioned within one hundred eighty days of
 the effective date of this act and submitted, with  recommendations,  to
 the legislature within one year from the date of such commissioning.
   § 5. This act shall be effective immediately.