BILL NUMBER: S9075
SPONSOR: GONZALEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring gas
corporations to file maps with the public service commission detailing
the location of current and planned gas distribution line replacement,
repair, renewal and retirement projects
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To map, and ultimately phase out, outdated leak-prone gas infrastructure
by creating transparent decarbonization zones, thereby protecting rate-
payers from the increasingly unaffordable cost of repairing antiquated
infrastructure, as well as the negative health and safety impacts.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Article 4 of the Public Service Law by adding a new
section, § 77-a.
Subdivision 1 states the legislative intent.
Subdivision 2 specifies that, within one year of passage of the bill,
the Department of Public Service must file detailed, publicly accessible
maps showing all current, planned, or foreseeable gas distribution line
replacement, repair, renewal, and retirement projects.
Subdivision 3 specifies that after public comment, the PSC must desig-
nate "Neighborhood Priority Decarbonization Zones" within gas utility
service areas, prioritizing based on criteria including: Disadvantaged
Community status, planned gas infrastructure work, local pollution
burdens, associated greenhouse gas emissions, asthma and respiratory
illness rates, existing or planned thermal energy networks, anticipated
load growth from development or land use changes, and the availability
of local thermal energy resources such as waste heat.
Section 2 contains the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Leak-prone gas infrastructure has become increasingly costly in New York
- and ratepayers are paying the price. Aging gas mains, some of which
haven't been upgraded since the 1880s, accelerate climate change by
leaking methane into the atmosphere, expose New Yorkers to hazardous
conditions, and cost residents and businesses $4.3 million per mile of
leak-prone pipe that is replaced. It is expected that the cost of
replacing these leak-prone pipes will cost Con Edison roughly $1.8
billion over the next three years. So far, the eight major utilities
that serve gas to New York ratepayers spent $2 billion in 2022 and 2023
replacing gas mains.
The immense cost incurred by ratepayers on replacing leak-prone gas
infrastructure with new gas infrastructure continues despite the fact
that the amount of gas used by New Yorkers in their homes and businesses
(excluding power plants and industry) has dropped by 15% since 2018.
This bill addresses a critical disconnect between New York's climate law
and current utility practices. The Climate Leadership and Community
Protection Act (CLCPA) requires emissions reductions of 40% by 2030 and
at least 85% by 2050. Continued large-scale replacement of aging gas
mains with new, long-lived fossil-fuel infrastructure risks locking in
assets that are inconsistent with a decarbonizing future, creating a
credible risk of stranded assets and long-term costs for ratepayers and
investors.
Twenty-four states and Puerto Rico have already eliminated cast-and-
wrought-iron distribution mains, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). In Massachusetts, the Home
Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) produces publicly accessible maps that
make gas leaks and planned pipe replacements visible to residents. Mean-
while, recent PHMSA rulemaking (2023 NPRM; Final Rule issued January 17,
2025) strengthens leak detection, grading, and repair requirements
underscoring the nationwide urgency for better planning, transparency,
and non-pipeline alternatives.
This legislation offers New York the opportunity to align utility prac-
tices with our state's legally binding climate commitments while
protecting ratepayers from billions of dollars in unnecessary costs. It
requires gas providers to map and decommission leak-prone infrastruc-
ture, directs the State to designate neighborhood priority decarboniza-
tion zones with public input, and launches pilot projects across the
State to replace faulty gas infrastructure with green infrastructure. By
prioritizing transparency, we can prevent stranded fossil fuel assets,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and safeguard public health. With other
states already moving toward more transparent and forward-looking prac-
tices, New York cannot afford to fall behind.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill is effective immediately.