BILL NUMBER: S4205
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law and the public authorities law,
in relation to developing microgrids in preparation for extreme weather
events and other risks to public security
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to establish a program to encourage the
development of microgrids that will ensure uninterrupted electric power
at facilities which provide vital services to the public in the event of
an extended electric distribution outage.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Adds a new Section 66-q to the Public Service Law which:
establishes the "Microgrid Development Program" that financially
supports defined "Microgrids" that most effectively reduce emissions
while meeting strict reliability criteria; defines "Community Outage
Asset" customers that provide vital services to the public in the event
of "Extended Electric Distribution Outages"; defines "Uninterrupted"
with respect to qualified Microgrids; requires the Public Service
Commission, in consultation with the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA), to adopt a program to support the
development of Microgrids and their deployment by Community Outage Asset
customers. This Section also requires: NYSERDA to administer the
program; planned expenditures on the program total seventy-five million
dollars from 2022 to 2026; the use of incentive structures that maximize
reductions of carbon dioxide (CO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur
dioxide. (502), and particulate matter (PM); displace diesel generation,
and are capable-of rapid deployment in preparation for enhanced climate
induced severe weather and other grid risks.
Section 2: Requires the Long Island Power Authority to adopt the same
program. This Section requires LIPA to spend no less than $25 million
dollars from 2022 to 2026.
Section 3: Provides that the act would take effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The bill is intended to ensure continuity of services for communities
during significant outages of the electric grid. New York has experi-
enced increasingly severe weather in recent years. For instance, in
August 2020 Tropical Storm Isaias caused extensive outages and left
503,000 customers without power for up to eight days, costing up to $350
million dollars in damages. Our changing climate can be expected to
increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather
events. In addition, the state's energy infrastructure is the target of
a growing threat from cyber criminals and other bad actors including
hostile foreign governments. An uninterrupted supply of electricity is
indispensable for communications, health and safety, access to food and
essential supplies, social interactions, financial transactions, trans-
portation, and public and personal security. As extreme weather events
proliferate and our dependence on an uninterrupted supply of electricity
grows the state's energy policies have not provided a sufficient focus
on securing critical services from the risk of distribution system
outages. The state's "NY Prize" microgrid program has yet to produce its
intended outcomes, the incentive programs that were historically avail-
able to support customer-sited projects including microgrids have been
discontinued, and the commission's "value of distributed energy
resources" initiative has not been extended to behind the meter projects
that are designed to power vital services through outages of the
distribution system.
The bill will work toward the goal of ensuring that there is no such
thing as a widespread blackout of key community services in advance of
future weather events or cybersecurity attacks. Instead, citizens and
emergency management officials will have the assurance that certain
types of facilities that provide important public services will be oper-
ational during outages of the electric grid in addition to supplying
excess power. For instance, private telecommunications providers serve
both citizens and first responders during public emergencies. Similarly,
supermarkets and large retail stores serve as pre-positioned supplies of
food, clothes, water, building supplies, and equipment necessary for
storm preparation, recovery efforts. By establishing a renewed focus on
securing important services from the risk of severe weather, while
simultaneously requiring the greatest feasible degree of emission
reductions, the bill will help New York address both the causes and the
consequences of climate change.
Federal entities have done this to ensure power can be supplied in times
of excess use in addition to preparation for outages. There are a myriad
of ends by which authorization of these statutory amendments will
bolster New York states energy security.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S4579A Comrie/ A2398A Paulin
2022 S 4321 COMRIE / A 6760 Paulin
A.6760 of 2021 and 2022, referred to energy. Same as s.4321 of 2021 and
2022, referred to energy and telecommunications.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.