BILL NUMBER: S8610
SPONSOR: GONZALEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the trustees
of the power authority of the state of New York
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The Public Power Democracy Act democratizes and strengthens the New York
Power Authority's governance structure by adding legislative appoint-
ments to its board and ensuring critical areas of expertise are
reflected among the trustees.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Short title: This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"Public Power Democracy Act".
Section 2: Increases the number of trustees to seventeen from seven.
The governor retains seven appointees, and the Senate Majority Leader
and the Speaker of the Assembly gain a total of five appointees each.
Appointed members are required to represent specific areas of expertise
amongst them. The Governor must appoint an expert each in public
finance, consumer advocacy, and environmental justice. The Senate Major-
ity leader must appoint a union representative each from a union that
represents NYPA workers or the workers of a NYPA subsidiary, and an
entity with a power purchase agreement with NYPA. The Speaker of the
Assembly must appoint an expert each in renewable energy siting, and
building electrification. The New York State Energy Research and Devel-
opment Authority and the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric
Transmission are also given authority to appoint one non-voting member
to the board.
Quorum is defined as a majority of the appointed voting trustees. This
section also allows removal of a trustee by the governor or a majority
vote of the legislature.
Section 3: The terms for chair and vice-chair are set at two years.
Section 4: Sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt founded the New York Power Authority (NYPA) in
1931 to "give back to the people the power which is theirs." Today, as
we grapple with energy unaffordability, low union density, and chal-
lenges in meeting our climate goals, NYPA remains the most viable tool
the state has to unleash affordable and renewable electricity. With this
in mind, a new authority and mandate has been granted to NYPA to build
the state's renewable energy and pass the savings to New Yorkers, trans-
forming the agency into an energy powerhouse. However, to be successful
at its new duties, NYPA needs the right governing structure.
The Public Power Democracy Act updates the New York Power Authority's
governance structure in accordance with the principles of democracy,
transparency, and good governance. It enhances the democratic process by
which the board of trustees is selected by adding a total of ten legis-
lative appointments from the Senate and Assembly to ensure the board
will be reflective of the will of the people. Certain appointments must
also reflect key areas of expertise, such as consumer advocacy and envi-
ronmental justice. Overall, the bill increases the size of the board to
match the same number of voting members as other critical state authori-
ties like the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
With its mandate to build the renewable energy New York desperately
needs, NYPA can deliver a sustainable energy supply that not only keeps
the power on during extreme weather, but also lowers prices. It will do
so, because unlike the for-profit companies driving up our bills, NYPA
doesn't serve shareholders: it serves New Yorkers, just as FDR intended
at its inception.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill is effective immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8610: 1003 public authorities law, 1004 public authorities law