Senate Bill S7226

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7226

SPONSOR: GIANARIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring the
public service commission to provide the appropriate local community
board in a city with a population of one million or more with notice of
and opportunity to comment and make recommendations on any proposed sale
or acquisition of real property by a gas corporation or electric corpo-
ration furnishing utility service

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure that local communities have a meaningful say in any land
transfer proposed by a gas or electric corporation. .

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends § 107 of the Public Service Law by adding
a new subdivision 3, which would require the Public Service Commission
to notify the relevant local community board whenever a gas or electric
              

corporation proposes to sell or acquire real property in the area. The
local community board shall submit written comments and recommendations
to the commission on the proposed transaction within thirty days of
receiving such notice. The commission must then respond to the comments
and recommendations prior to making its determination.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

When a gas or electric corporation attempts to sell or acquire land in
cities with a population of one million or more, the transfers require
approval from the Public Service Commission, but at no point does the
PSC notify the affected community or seek its advisory opinion. Since
the residents of the community who are most significantly impacted from
such a land transfer have unique knowledge of the community, they should
be consulted and given the opportunity to relay any concerns they may
have before the PSC makes its determination. This legislation would,
thus, allow the local community to be informed about and voice its opin-
ion regarding these issues through its local community board, which has
this responsibility for other land use matters of significance.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S175 died in Energy and Telecommunications / no Assembly same
as

2021-22: S1246 died in Energy and Telecommunications / no Assembly same
as

2019-20: S2151 died in Energy and Telecommunications / no Assembly same
as

2017-18: S3162 died in Energy and Telecommunications / A4090 died in
corporations, authorities and commissions

2015-16: S2477 died in Energy and Telecommunications / A4994 died in
corporations, authorities and commissions

2013-14: S603 died in Energy and Telecommunications / A2131 died in
corporations, authorities and commissions

2011-12: S2525 died in Energy and Telecommunications / A4910 died in
corporations, authorities and commissions

2009-10: A5436 died in corporations, authorities and commissions / no
Senate same as

2008: A10434 died in corporations, authorities and commissions / no
Senate same as

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.