Bill S 6595 establishes a property tax abatement program for owners of certain buildings in cities with populations of one million or more. This program incentivizes the installation of "facility-integrated carbon-to-value equipment" designed to capture, remove, or beneficially use carbon dioxide emissions. Eligible property owners can receive an abatement for a compliance period of up to eight years, calculated as the lesser of 5% of eligible equipment expenditures, the taxes payable, or $100,000 annually (with a potential maximum of $800,000). The equipment must demonstrate a net reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, and specific restrictions apply, including for certain boiler systems and locations within environmental justice areas.
Relates to small business energy assistance and advocacy services; establishes the small business energy assistance and advocacy services program within the division for small-business; authorizes the division for small-business to initiate complaints to the public service commission regarding gas and electricity and steam heat.
Aligns utility regulation with state climate justice and emission reduction targets; provides for a statewide affordable gas transition plan and utility home energy affordable transition programs; repeals provisions relating to continuation of gas service; repeals provisions relating to the sale of indigenous natural gas for generation of electricity.
Enacts the "public renewables transparency act"; relates to the New York power authority's conferral process; requires the conferral report be posted on the authority's website; provides that the authority shall provide an option for stakeholders to submit comments remotely as well, and incorporate feedback from such sessions and written comments into the final draft of the strategic plan; makes related provisions.
This bill requires gas and electric utility companies in New York to provide customers with 45 days' written notice before implementing any service rate or charge increase. It directly affects all residential and business customers of these utilities by giving them advance warning of upcoming cost changes. The key provision mandates that notices must be delivered in writing at least 45 days prior to the effective date of the increase. This policy change aims to provide customers with greater transparency and time to adjust their budgets or explore alternatives.
This bill changes how New York property taxes are calculated for solar and wind energy systems. It requires tax assessors to use a new discounted cash flow method that accounts for regional costs and includes specific expenses like community benefit payments, decommissioning costs, and subscriber management fees. Federal tax credits and renewable energy credits (like clean energy certificates) are no longer counted as income when valuing these systems. The law directly affects property owners with solar/wind systems, local assessors, and communities receiving benefit payments. It aims to create fairer tax assessments by reflecting actual system costs and revenue streams.
Requires the state fire administrator to make available a specialized electric vehicle emergency response training program to provide training to individuals responsible for providing emergency response and recovery following incidents involving electric vehicles; defines emergency medical services agency.
Requires contractors and subcontractors performing construction work for covered renewable energy systems to use apprenticeship agreements; requires thermal energy networks to require contractors and subcontractors to use pre-apprenticeship direct entry providers registered with the department of labor.
Establishes the mechanical insulation energy savings program to provide grants for qualified mechanical insulation expenditures to school districts, public hospitals, public housing buildings, and political subdivisions that have completed a qualified audit.
Creates the state office of the utility consumer advocate to represent interests of residential utility customers including a proposed change of rates, charges, terms and conditions of service, the adoption of rules, regulations, guidelines, orders, standards or final policy decisions.
