Bill Text: NY S03876 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Establishes the school energy efficiency program which shall construct a proposal to streamline the approval process for the installation of energy efficiency projects in public schools.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-06 - PRINT NUMBER 3876A [S03876 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S03876-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3876--A
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 27, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
          when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education  --  recom-
          mitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6,
          sec.  8  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
          amended and recommitted to said committee
        AN ACT establishing the school energy efficiency program
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Legislative intent. At a cost annually of over $1 billion
     2  dollars in utility costs, the energy costs for  public  schools  in  New
     3  York  need  to be addressed to reduce such escalating costs and to allow
     4  for a redirection of such expenditures to improve  academic  performance
     5  in our state. The legislature therefore finds that New York state should
     6  conduct  a  review of the project approval process to determine how best
     7  to expedite the start of construction and implementation of school ener-
     8  gy efficiency projects. Currently, energy projects are reviewed  by  the
     9  same  group  at  the  New  York  state education department that is also
    10  responsible for reviewing critical school district capital projects. The
    11  process review should focus on how a higher priority might be  given  to
    12  energy  efficiency  projects  while  at  the  same  time  ensuring  that
    13  mission-critical capital projects are not delayed. Pursuing all cost-ef-
    14  fective energy efficiency in New York state schools  will  require  that
    15  many more projects will need to be approved annually than have ever been
    16  in  the  past.  A  streamlined,  transparent,  and  efficient review and
    17  approval process is a necessary component  of  an  increased  effort  to
    18  promote energy efficiency projects in schools.
    19    §  2.  School  energy  efficiency  program. 1. Establishment. There is
    20  hereby established the school  energy  efficiency  program.  Under  this
    21  program,  the  department  shall  construct a proposal to streamline the
    22  approval process for eligible  entities  pursuing  the  installation  of
    23  energy efficiency projects.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07740-02-8
        S. 3876--A                          2
     1    2. Proposal requirements. The department through this program shall:
     2    a. demonstrate how energy efficiency project approval requests will be
     3  processed separately from all other capital improvement applications;
     4    b. set a specific date for when the streamlined approval process shall
     5  be in place; and
     6    c.  determine  if  any  legislative  action  is  necessary to make the
     7  streamlined approval process operational.
     8    3. Report. The department shall report its findings,  conclusions  and
     9  recommendations  to  the governor, majority leader of the senate and the
    10  speaker of the assembly by January 1, 2020.
    11    4. Definitions. For purposes of this program the following terms shall
    12  have the following meanings:
    13    a. "Department" shall mean the New York state education department.
    14    b. "Eligible entity" shall mean any  public  elementary  or  secondary
    15  school located in New York state.
    16    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.