BILL NUMBER: S5995
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to creating an inte-
grated energy system planning
 
PURPOSE:
This bill establishes a process to integrate gas and electric system
planning so that future utility investments by combination electric and
gas corporations are optimized to, reflect changing energy system trends
and technologies, avoid unnecessary costs and maximize energy
efficiency/load flexibility, provide long-term cost containment and
energy affordability; and meet state climate laws at the lowest reason-
able cost.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one is legislative findings and intent.
Section two provides relevant definitions.
Section three adds a new section 66-x to the public service law (PSL) to
direct the Public Service Commission to develop and implement an inte-
grated planning process for utilities that serve gas and electric
customers in the same service territory across supply, transmission,
distribution, and gas and achieve a new level of coordination for gas
and electric utilities with overlapping service territories to account
for the impacts of electrification on both utility businesses. This new
process consolidates - but does not directly change - existing utility
planning processes (e.g., long-term gas plans, coordinated grid plans,
distributed system implementation plans) and requires 10-year investment
plans informed by 20-year gas and electric system forecasts.
Section three also mandates all cost-effective energy efficiency meas-
ures, weatherization and building shell measures, demand and grid flexi-
bility options, non-wires and non-pipeline alternatives, and advanced
transmission technologies. Integrated program plans must include
programs for low-andmoderate income customers.
Section four establishes the implementation date of the bill.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York's energy system is undergoing a major transformation including
the proliferation of distributed energy resources, energy efficiency and
load flexibility, transportation electrification, heating electrifica-
tion, and advanced transmission technologies. This evolving landscape
affects both the gas and electric systems across pipelines, generation,
transmission, and distribution systems; however, our planning processes
have not evolved to match technological changes and greater customer
choices. As such, New York utilities may be at risk of overinvesting in
infrastructure, and ratepayers may be at risk of paying for unnecessary
infrastructure.
To capitalize on these innovations, prevent unnecessary duplication of
energy infrastructure, and protect ratepayers from overinvestment, New
York needs to consolidate its various siloed planning processes and
align forecasts, assumptions, programs, plans, and other initiatives
across gas, generation, transmission, distribution, and distributed
resource plans. This bill addresses these challenges by establishing a
planning framework that promotes optimization, i.e., identifying the
most cost-effective actions to address energy system needs across all
utility functions.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.