STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________

2474--A Cal. No. 233

2023-2024 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

January 20, 2023 ___________

Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BRESLIN, COMRIE, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, MANNION -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading

AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to directing the New York state energy research and development authority to conduct a study of the technical and economic feasibility and ratepayer impact of a zero-emission electrical system and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:

1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new 2 section 1885 to read as follows: 3 § 1885. Supplemental study on the technical and economic feasibility 4 of a one hundred percent renewable energy system and a reduction in 5 greenhouse gas emissions. 1. On or before January first, two thousand 6 twenty-four, and every four years thereafter, the authority, in consul- 7 tation and coordination with the department of public service and the 8 department of environmental conservation, and the federally designated 9 electric bulk system operator, shall publish and update a comprehensive 10 study to determine the technical and economic feasibility and ratepayer 11 impact of meeting the following goals: 12 (a) having the statewide electrical demand system be zero-emissions by 13 the year two thousand forty pursuant to section sixty-six-p of the 14 public service law and one hundred percent of the electricity consumed 15 in the state generated by renewable energy resources by the year two 16 thousand thirty-four, and, alternatively, the year two thousand fifty- 17 four.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06331-03-3

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1 (b) reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by a percentage of 2 nineteen hundred ninety emissions from greenhouse gas emission sources, 3 pursuant to chapter one hundred six of the laws of two thousand nine- 4 teen, as follows: 5 (i) by two thousand thirty: sixty percent of nineteen hundred ninety 6 emissions; and 7 (ii) by two thousand fifty: fifteen percent of nineteen hundred ninety 8 emissions. 9 2. Such study shall include, at a minimum, an assessment of each of 10 the following: 11 (a) the timing, costs, economic impacts, ratepayer impacts and feasi- 12 bility associated with pathways to meet these goals pursuant to the 13 final scoping plan adopted by the New York state climate action council 14 pursuant to chapter one hundred six of the laws of two thousand nine- 15 teen. In terms of the evaluation of costs, the study shall: 16 (i) evaluate, using the best available economic models, emission esti- 17 mation techniques and other scientific methods, the total potential 18 costs and potential economic and non-economic benefits of meeting these 19 goals; 20 (ii) evaluate the economic impact of meeting the goals on the state's 21 businesses, jobs, ratepayers and residents assuming: 22 (A) the renewable and greenhouse gas emissions goals of other states 23 and regions in the United States are at least fifty percent lower than 24 New York state's goals; 25 (B) the renewable and greenhouse gas emissions goals of other states 26 and regions in the United States are as those in place as of the date of 27 the study; 28 (C) the existence of technology in place as of the date of the study. 29 (b) the technical and cost impact on maintaining electric system reli- 30 ability, including but not limited to, the need for and type of back-up 31 power supplies and of energy storage systems and of zero-emission 32 dispatchable resources to maintain electric system reliability. 33 (c) the short-term and long-term actions to feasibly meet the goals 34 across all economic sectors, including industry, transportation, agri- 35 culture, building construction and energy production, including: 36 (i) an analysis of the anticipated emission reductions, and the 37 economic implications and ratepayer impact thereof, as a result of each 38 action. 39 (ii) identification of the anticipated life-cycle implications, conse- 40 quences, benefits and costs of implementing each action, including 41 implications, consequences, benefits and costs to New York state, local 42 governments, businesses, ratepayers and residents from implementation of 43 each action. 44 (iii) detailed analysis to estimate the annual and total cost impact 45 on electric and natural gas bills for all customer sectors across the 46 state, including, but not limited to, residential, small and large busi- 47 ness customers, associated with the implementation of the adopted scop- 48 ing plan, along with a range of costs, based upon the selection of vari- 49 ous potential decarbonization pathways, to minimize costs and to 50 maximize the total benefits to New York state. 51 (iv) specific cost study scenarios that show residential, commercial, 52 industrial, and institutional energy consumers', along with local 53 governments, increased costs, not only on the electric system, but also 54 on the gas system. 55 (A) The analysis shall specify consumers' costs of installing or 56 accessing renewable energy and energy storage, replacing their heating

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1 systems, upgrading their electric service, purchasing electric cars, and 2 charging them. 3 (B) The analysis shall detail how consumers will pay for these meas- 4 ures, assess whether the adopted scoping plan includes sufficient meas- 5 ures to avoid or reduce upfront costs on consumers, and recommend addi- 6 tional affordability measures. 7 (d) estimated timelines for considering and implementing such actions. 8 (e) exploration of various renewable technology, energy storage, zero- 9 emission dispatchable resources and energy efficiency deployment scenar- 10 ios. 11 (f) a requirement for any new vehicles sold in the state to be powered 12 by electricity generated by renewable energy resources or otherwise to 13 be free of emissions. 14 (g) proposals for new structures constructed in the state to be net 15 zero-emission structures. 16 (h) transition to renewable heating and cooling provided by heat pumps 17 powered by renewable energy resources or other means resulting in net 18 zero emissions. 19 (i) the economic and social benefits of greenhouse gas emissions 20 reductions, taking into account the federal social cost of carbon, any 21 other tools that the authority deems useful and pertinent for this anal- 22 ysis, and any environmental, economic and public health co-benefits 23 (such as the reduction of co-pollutants and the diversification of ener- 24 gy sources), and avoiding, lowering, minimizing, offsetting, or mitigat- 25 ing, to the maximum extent practicable using verifiable measures, any 26 significant increase of the existing disproportionate pollution burden 27 on a disadvantaged community, pursuant to subdivision three of section 28 seven of chapter one hundred six of the laws of two thousand nineteen, 29 provided that the term "pollution" shall have the same meaning as 30 defined in subdivision nineteen of section 1-0303 of the environmental 31 conservation law. 32 3. Such study shall build upon relevant expertise already at the 33 authority's disposal. 34 4. The authority may contract with an independent and competitively 35 selected contractor to undertake such study. 36 5. The authority, and any contractors it may retain for such purposes, 37 shall consult with entities that have resources and expertise to assist 38 in such study, including, but not limited to, academic partners, elec- 39 tric corporations, gas corporations, electricity generating companies, 40 trade organizations, environmental justice groups, labor unions and 41 other stakeholders. 42 6. The authority shall prepare a report on such study's findings. The 43 authority shall transmit such report along with the study to the gover- 44 nor, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, 45 the chair of the assembly energy committee, and the chair of the senate 46 energy and telecommunications committee no later than thirty days after 47 the study's completion. 48 7. The Long Island power authority and the power authority of the 49 state of New York are authorized, as deemed feasible and advisable by 50 their respective boards, to make a voluntary contribution toward the 51 study. 52 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.