BILL NUMBER: S8519
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to certain reforms
for ORES oversight of siting of major renewable energy facilities and
major electric transmission facilities
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To improve transparency, participation, and clarity in the Office of
Renewable Energy Siting process while preserving the state's ability to
meet its climate and energy goals.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill requires ORES to create and maintain a public dashboard with
up-to-date project information; extends and clarifies timelines for
completeness and permit decisions; ensures consultation with munici-
palities before applications are accepted; requires written responses to
public comments and clearer standards for overriding local laws; creates
a process for municipalities to request hearings on proposed overrides;
expands uniform siting conditions to better address water and geological
concerns; and guarantees a baseline for public comment hearings.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act sets ambitious goals
for renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions. The Office of Renew-
able Energy Siting was created to help meet those goals by providing an
expedited process for siting major renewable and transmission projects.
While the new framework has accelerated approvals, experience has shown
that speed alone does not guarantee success. Communities want to under-
stand how projects are evaluated, local governments want assurance that
their laws and priorities are taken seriously, and developers want
predictable timelines and decisions.
At present, the process too often breeds distrust on the part of local
officials and residents. They frequently describe public comment oppor-
tunities as limited and perfunctory. Key documents and procedural mile-
stones can be difficult to access or track, leaving communities uncer-
tain about when and how they may participate. When ORES chooses not to
apply a local law, it is not always clear to the public what standards
were applied. These gaps create frustration, erode trust, and risk
undermining public confidence in significant energy infrastructure
projects. The proposed reforms here intended to keep delays to a minimum
while assuring that residents and local governments can monitor the
process and have their voices heard.
This legislation reinforces transparency, clarity, and responsiveness.
It requires ORES to maintain a public dashboard where project informa-
tion, comment schedules, and application status are easily available. It
requires consultation with municipalities before applications are deemed
complete, ensuring that local perspectives are incorporated at the
outset. It obligates ORES to provide public written explanations when it
declines to apply local laws, supported by evidence and responsive to
specific community concerns, and gives municipalities the right to
request a hearing when their standards are set aside. It also requires
that public comments be summarized and addressed in the record, so that
participation is seen not as symbolic but as substantive.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 180 days after it becomes law; rulemaking
authority is effective immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8519: 3-c public service law, 3-c(2) public service law