S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5506
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 24, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. KAVANAGH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations
AN ACT to amend the public service law and the labor law, in relation to
qualified energy storage systems
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 1-a of section 66-r of the public service law,
as amended by section 32 of part O of chapter 58 of the laws of 2024, is
amended to read as follows:
1-a. For the purposes of this section, an "other covered project"
means: (a) any "thermal energy network" as defined by subdivision twen-
ty-nine of section two of this chapter; (b) any offshore wind supply
chain project, including but not limited to port infrastructure, primary
component manufacturing, finished component manufacturing, subassembly
manufacturing, subcomponent manufacturing, or raw material producers, or
a combination thereof receiving direct funding from the New York state
energy research and development authority pursuant to an award under a
New York state energy research and development authority solicitation;
[or] (c) a "major utility transmission facility" as such term is defined
by section one hundred twenty of this chapter or "major electric trans-
mission facility" as defined by article VIII of this chapter; OR (D) ANY
QUALIFIED ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION
ONE OF SECTION SEVENTY-FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE, WITH A NAMEPLATE CAPACITY
OF TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND KILOWATTS OR MORE AND INTERCONNECTED TO THE
STATE'S ELECTRICITY GRID.
§ 2. Subdivision 4 of section 137 of the public service law, as added
by section 11 of part O of chapter 58 of the laws of 2024, is amended to
read as follows:
4. "Major renewable energy facility" means any renewable energy
system, as such term is defined in section sixty-six-p of this chapter,
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09637-01-5
S. 5506 2
with a nameplate generating capacity of twenty-five thousand kilowatts
or more, [and] any co-located system storing energy generated from such
a renewable energy system prior to delivering it to the bulk trans-
mission system, OR ANY QUALIFIED ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, AS SUCH TERM IS
DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION SEVENTY-FOUR OF THIS CHAPTER, WITH
A NAMEPLATE CAPACITY OF TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND KILOWATTS OR MORE AND
INTERCONNECTED TO THE STATE'S ELECTRICITY GRID, including all associated
appurtenances to electric plants, including electric transmission facil-
ities less than ten miles in length in order to provide access to load
and to integrate such facilities into the state's bulk electric trans-
mission system.
§ 3. Subdivision 5 of section 140 of the public service law, as added
by section 11 of part O of chapter 58 of the laws of 2024, is amended
and a new subdivision six is added to read as follows:
5. This section shall not apply:
(a) to normal repairs, maintenance, replacements, non-material modifi-
cations and improvements of a major renewable energy facility subject to
this article, whenever built, which are performed in the ordinary course
of business and which do not constitute a violation of any applicable
existing permit; [and]
(b) to a major renewable energy facility if, on or before [the effec-
tive date of this article] DECEMBER 31, 2025, an application has been
made or granted for a license, permit, certificate, consent or approval
from any federal, state or local commission, agency, board or regulatory
body[.]; AND
(C) TO AN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM CONSTRUCTED IN A CITY WITH A POPU-
LATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE.
6. AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PARAGRAPH, ANY PERSON INTENDING TO
CONSTRUCT A MAJOR RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITY EXCLUDED FROM THIS SECTION
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION MAY ELECT
TO BECOME SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION BY FILING AN APPLI-
CATION FOR A MAJOR RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITY SITING PERMIT PURSUANT TO
THE REGULATIONS OF ORES GOVERNING SUCH APPLICATIONS.
§ 4. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 145 of the public
service law, as added by section 11 of part O of chapter 58 of the laws
of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
(a) for a major renewable energy facility, one thousand dollars for
each thousand kilowatts of capacity of the proposed major renewable
energy facility, WITH A MINIMUM FEE OF TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND
A MAXIMUM FEE OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ANY PROPOSED ENERGY
STORAGE FACILITY;
§ 5. Subdivision 1 of section 224-d of the labor law, as amended by
section 31 of part O of chapter 58 of the laws of 2024, is amended to
read as follows:
1. For purposes of this section, a "covered renewable energy system"
means (a) a renewable energy system, as such term is defined in section
sixty-six-p of the public service law, with a capacity of one or more
megawatts alternating current and which involves the procurement of
renewable energy credits by a public entity, or a company or corporation
provided in subdivisions twenty-three and twenty-four of section two of
the public service law, or a third party acting on behalf and for the
benefit of a public entity; (b) any "thermal energy network" as defined
by subdivision twenty-nine of section two of the public service law; (c)
any offshore wind supply chain project, including but not limited to
port infrastructure, primary component manufacturing, finished component
manufacturing, subassembly manufacturing, subcomponent manufacturing, or
S. 5506 3
raw material producers, or a combination thereof receiving direct fund-
ing from the New York state energy research and development authority
pursuant to an award under a New York state energy research and develop-
ment authority solicitation; [or] (d) a "major utility transmission
facility" as such term is defined by section one hundred twenty of the
public service law; OR (E) ANY QUALIFIED ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, AS SUCH
TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION SEVENTY-FOUR OF THE PUBLIC
SERVICE LAW, WITH A NAMEPLATE CAPACITY OF TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND KILOWATTS
OR MORE AND INTERCONNECTED TO THE STATE'S ELECTRICITY GRID.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments to sections
137, 140, and 145 of the public service law made by sections two, three
and four of this act shall not affect the repeal of such sections and
shall be deemed to be repealed therewith. Effective immediately, the
addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
to be made and completed on or before such effective date.