Senate Bill S6391

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6391

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to directing the
New York state energy research and development authority to take certain
actions to increase awareness for geothermal energy systems

 
PURPOSE:

Requires New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and
appropriate industries to coordinate for development of basic consumer
education or guidance about geothermal energy systems in a single build-
ing or network of buildings, and development of business models for
geothermal projects within the state.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the public authorities law to add a new section 1885 to
require the authority, in consultation with appropriate industries, to
develop basic consumer education or guidance about geothermal energy
              

systems and develop business models for geothermal projects in the state
matching solar energy programs.

Section 2 states the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Both state and federal governments have created sustainability targets
and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions requiring vigorous economy-
wide transitions away from fossil fuels.(1) Common solutions for decar-
bonization focus on wind and solar energy. With the Climate Leadership
and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requiring a forty-percent emissions
reduction by 2030,(2) New York must utilize--and maximize--all sustaina-
bility options it has available.

Geothermal energy systems provide a solution to radically reduce the
heating and cooling needs for millions of homes and buildings across New
York.(3) This legislation seeks to establish the same consumer education
and business models for geothermal energy systems in New York that solar
energy programs have achieved. By fully utilizing heating and cooling
technology and electricity generation with geothermal energy systems
instead of fossil fuels, New York will become perpetually closer to
realizing its net-zero emissions imperative.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S7884 - Died in Energy & Telecommunications

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
1 NYS DEP. OF PUB. SERVICE, Clean Energy Initiatives,
https://dps.ny.gov/clean-energy-initiatives#:~:text=The% 20Climate%20Act
%20requires%20New.in%20the%20clean %20energy%20transition (last visited
Oct. 18, 2023); COUNCIL ON ENV.  QUALITY, Federal Sustainability Plan,
https://www.sustainability.gov/federalsustainabilityplan/ (last visited
Oct. 18, 2023).
2 NYS DEP. OF PUB. SERVICE, supra note 1.
3 CORECHEM, NY-GEO 2023 and How New York is Leading the Way in the Field
of Geothermal Energy, https://corecheminc.com/ny-geo-2023-and- how-new-
york-is-leading-the-way-in-the- field-of-geothermal-energy/ (last visit-
ed Oct. 18, 2023).