Requires the office of renewable energy siting and electric transmission to establish and/or amend rules and regulations pertaining to standards related to the siting, design, construction and operation of major renewable energy facilities; requires such rules and regulations to include information relating to farmland protection and application procedures; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof.
Provides a tax exemption from sales and compensating use taxes on alternative energy systems including alternative energy systems, new Energy Star appliances and tangible personal property used in or on habitable residential and non-residential structures to improve energy efficiency; defines relevant terms; authorizes municipalities to adopt the exemption.
Requires renewable energy data resources provided by NYSERDA to include mapping of certain capital projects with a value of greater than one million dollars for purposes of providing public information on the viability of siting of solar energy arrays, major renewable energy facilities, or major electric transmission facilities.
Exempts any school district located wholly or partially within a ten-mile plume exposure pathway emergency planning zone surrounding a nuclear power facility from the requirements of only purchasing or leasing zero-emission school buses and only operating and maintaining zero-emission school buses.
This bill, known as the Dark Skies Protection Act, establishes state regulations to reduce outdoor light pollution by requiring most outdoor lighting fixtures to be shielded so light is directed downward rather than upward. The law applies to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal buildings and structures, with specific restrictions on recreational facilities that prohibit illumination between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for certain events. Several exemptions exist for essential lighting such as airport navigation, worker safety, emergency services, and low-wattage decorative lighting. Municipalities that already have stricter local ordinances on light pollution are exempt from these state requirements, and the state department will provide educational materials to help property owners comply.
Allows surplus or uncommitted funds in the New York state climate investment account to be returned to ratepayers; establishes a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday and a two-year green energy tax holiday; relates to audits of utility corporations; authorizes the public service commission to reconsider rate increases; grants customers the right to decline smart meters and prohibits such customers from being penalized or charged exercising such right; directs the public service commission to conduct a study analyzing the economic impact of the use of smart meters; relates to costs and expenses of the department of public service and the public service commission; directs the public service commission to develop a formula to determine the average cost to comply with the provisions set forth in article seventy-five of the environmental conservation law; provides for a ratepayer protection tax credit; repeals certain provisions of law relating to the assessment of costs and expenses of the department of public service and the public service commission.
Relates to the department of public service; limits increases in the amount of surcharges; establishes a one year moratorium on the collection of energy surcharges; establishes a moratorium on new surcharge assessments, taxes or fees.
This bill would exempt certain low-income seniors from paying use tax on heating fuels purchased during the winter months. It directly affects residents aged 65 or older who do not qualify for the existing low-income home energy assistance program but earn no more than $500 above that program's income threshold. The key provision adds a new exemption to the tax law for heating fuel sales in December, January, and February for eligible seniors using the fuel at home. This change would immediately reduce the cost of heating for qualifying households during the coldest months.
Requires certain investor-owned gas or electric corporations to refund ratepayers when their achieved return on equity exceeds authorized rates of return by fifty percent.
Authorizes gas or electrical corporations to submit proposals to the public service commission establishing a voluntary rate or rates for energy supplied to residential customers utilizing heat pumps as the primary heating source.
